Lions Breed True
by notsing
Summary: A Ron-centric story written by a Ron fan for other Ron fans set during OotP. I don't own Harry Potter, I wish I owned Ron.
1. Chapter 1

Lions Breed True Chapter 1

 **First, this story is obviously AU, but nothing that happens would interfere with canon. Next, Ron will be physically abused, so if that bothers you, please don't read this. Third (and I really hate doing this), I need to explain (briefly) where this story begins. Harry watched the Marauders torment Snape in a pensieve, and wants to talk to Sirius about it. But Umbridge has taken over the school, and the only safe way to talk to Sirius is through her own fireplace. The last night of Easter break the Golden Trio is looking through pamphlets and discussing career options because they're to meet with McGonagall the next day about their career goals. The twins come up to the trio and tell Harry they're going to cause a diversion the next day that will give Harry about twenty minutes to sneak into Umbridge's office and talk to Sirius. Hermione dislikes the idea, scolds the twins and Harry, and appeals to Ron to agree with her. In canon, Ron says it's up to Harry, but my version goes a little differently.**

In retrospect, Ron should never have volunteered to assist his twin brothers. Of course, by the time he realized that, it was already too late. One minute he was brooding over career options (it wasn't that he didn't WANT a career, but Ron couldn't think of a single career that he wanted), and the next thing he knew Ron had committed himself to helping the twins with their 'diversion'.

He wanted to blame Hermione, but Ron knew that was unfair. Still, if she hadn't acted so disapproving, then appealing to Ron to back her up, he probably wouldn't have opened his mouth and asked the twins, "You don't need any help, do you?"

Ron had to admit in all fairness to Hermione that the major reason he made the offer in the first place was the conviction that his brothers would not take him up on it. Why should they? They never had before. But this time Fred and George considered him a moment then George said slowly, "Actually, we could use your help. You can create a secondary diversion. Thanks Ron."

Fred clapped him on the back, "We'll fill you in tomorrow. See you later." And with that they were gone. A surprised Ron watched them walk away, then turned to find a grateful Harry smiling at him, and a furious Hermione glaring daggers at him.

Ron whimpered slightly and sunk down in his chair. An angry witch was scary. An angry Hermione was positively terrifying.

"I can't believe you!" Hermione hissed. "You're a prefect! You're suppose to be setting a good example."

"Oi!" protested Ron, "You're a prefect too! And who's idea was the DA?"

"That's different," argued Hermione. "We were making a reasonable stand against an oppressive..., well, an oppressive something. What's the word I want? Administration? Ministry? Alright, a stand against oppression!"

"And if that oppressive something, I'll call it the Pink Toad, wasn't in power Harry would have no trouble contacting Sirius," answered an annoyed Ron. "But Harry needs to talk to him, it's important. Isn't it Harry?" Ron appealed to his best mate.

Harry squirmed slightly. It WAS important to him to talk to Sirius, but he was very much aware it was strictly personal. It wasn't like other times, when he had desperately needed advice or guidance.

"Um, yeah, sure," he replied.

"See?" said Ron, smugly. "I'm doing this for Harry. Besides, I already told my brothers I'd help. I can't back out now."

Hermione sniffed, obviously unimpressed. "I just hope the two of you don't end up regretting this. I think it's irresponsible."

The next morning Hermione was still lecturing both boys on their recklessness, while Ron worried over what he was going to say during his future career meeting.

"Come on Ron," encouraged Harry, "you must have some idea of what you want to do."

"I know what I DON'T want to do," replied Ron. "I don't want to work with muggle artifacts, I don't want to be a curse breaker, and I definitely don't want to be anywhere near a dragon." Ron reflected a minute, "Although I think I'd prefer a dragon to eat me boots and all over spending my life writing pointless, dull papers about the thickness of cauldrons."

Harry grimaced, "Yeah, I think you can come up with a better career than Percy."

"Well, that's giving me a vote of confidence, that is," mocked Ron. "Hey Ron, you're not quite as lame as your brother Percy!"

"Come on Ron," said Harry, "you know I didn't mean it like that."

"I know," sighed Ron. "It's just that I've always thought that no matter how lame I am, at least I"m not as lame as Percy. That's not exactly setting the standard very high though, is it?"

"You're loads better than Percy! What's he ever done?" exclaimed Harry.

"You mean besides being Head Boy? And he had a rather pretty girlfriend."

Ron's own words registered with him, and he gasped, "Harry! Percy had a girlfriend! When he was our age he was snogging a girl! I've never had a girlfriend or snogged anyone. It's official, I'm lamer than Percy."

"Ron, stop being ridiculous," retorted Harry. "It's impossible to be lamer than Percy."

"That's what I thought," agreed Ron, "but apparently I am. A girl wanted Percy as a boyfriend, and was willing to snog him. No girl's felt that way about me. It's sad how resistible girls find me."

"Ron, will you stop making me laugh," begged Harry. "Besides, you don't know. I bet there's at least one girl here who desperately wants to snog you."

"I doubt it," replied Ron, gloomily. "I'm acquainted with mirrors you know."

Harry fought to keep from either laughing, or risking a look at his other best friend who had stopped complaining about his and Ron's behavior to listen intently to the conversation.

"I'm not exactly very experienced with girls myself," Harry humbly pointed out. "The one time I snogged a girl, she cried."

Before Ron could reply his twin brothers swooped up to them, "Ronniekins! Here, take these."

"What are they?" questioned Ron.

"Fireworks, of course, " answered George. "At 5:00 you're going to set them off and hopefully help cause mass confusion. Why, you're not backing out, are you?"

"Of course not!" retorted Ron, stung. "I'd said I would help, and I will. Um, it is safe, right? I won't get caught?"

"Ron," said Fred reproachfully, "would we let you do anything dangerous?"

"Yes," replied Ron, frankly.

George clutched his heart, "You wound us little brother! Seriously, all you have to do is set off a few fireworks and then scram. It should be perfectly safe."

Ron had to admit that it didn't sound too difficult. So he went to the suggested corridor at the appointed time and set off the fireworks. But when Ron tried to scram, he scrammed straight into Warrington and Goyle of the Inquisitorial Squad. Bloody Hell!


	2. Chapter 2

Lions Breed True Chapter 2

Ron tried fighting, as a matter of principle, not that it did him much good. Both Goyle and Warrington were bigger than him, and well, there were two of them to one of him. All he got for his effort was a bloody lip and his arms pinned behind his back.

"Let me go!" he shouted.

"I don't think so!" retorted Warrington. "We caught you red-handed, Weasel."

"Caught me red-handed doing what?" demanded Ron.

"Setting off the bloody fireworks, that's what!"

"I didn't set off those fireworks!" protested Ron.

"Then why were you running?"

"Oi! Look around, everyone else is running too!"

It was perfectly true, the hall was filling up with students scampering all over while fireworks went off over their heads.

"You were running BEFORE the fireworks started going off!" retorted Warrington..

"Was not!"

"Were too!"

Ron wondered if they had gone back to the nursery, because they certainly sounded like it.

"The Headmistress is anxious to put a stop to this. We're taking you to her office."

Ron couldn't suppress his body jerking in alarm at these words.

Warrington grinned, "Don't fancy that much, do you?"

"No," Ron admitted, panicking. The whole purpose of these diversions was to get Umbridge OUT of her office so Harry could use her fireplace. Ron cursed himself and felt he left a lot to be desired as a co-conspirator.

He was trying frantically to think of some way to keep them from going to Umbridge's office, when McGonagall unexpectedly came to his aid.

Striding up to the three boys, she demanded, "What's the meaning of this? Why have you restrained Mr. Weasley?"

"They're saying I set off these fireworks," said Ron, indignantly. Well, okay, so he had, but Ron couldn't think of any good reason why he should admit to it. And he hadn't technically lied to McGonagall since he hadn't said he hadn't. True, he had claimed to be innocent to Goyle and Warrington, but Ron didn't think they counted.

"We're positive he set them off," countered Warrington. "We're taking him Headmistress Umbridge."

"Then I suggest you come with me," said McGonagall, dryly. "She's sent for me to meet her at Gregory the Swarmy's corridor."

"What about the fireworks ?" asked Goyle.

McGonagall gazed at him, "Oh Mr. Goyle, I wouldn't dream of trying to do anything about those. I'll leave that to our headmistress. I suggest we all go to see her."

McGonagall briskly strode off, and after a second's hesitation, Goyle and Warrington followed with Ron still penned between them. Ron was all for this. He was for anything that delayed a trip to Umbridge's office, although he wasn't optimistic about escaping punishment. He grimaced, wondering what Umbridge would have him crave into his hand. He thought about his brothers likely reaction to him being caught. Then he thought about Hermione's likely reaction to him being caught.

Ron wasn't sure which he dreaded most; the twins mockery or Hermione's smugness. At least he hoped Harry had managed to talk with Sirius.

"My arms are going numb," Ron complained. "Do you think you could loosen your grip a little?"

"No."

Well, he hadn't really expected that they would, but Ron saw no harm in asking.

They finally reached the right corridor to find Professor Flitwick standing at the entrance. "Professor McGonagall!" he beamed, gesturing toward the hall, "isn't it magnificent?"

Everyone obligingly looked at the corridor and Ron's jaw dropped.

"Oh my," said McGonagall faintly, "I don't know if I would call it magnificent, but it's certainly impressive."

Ron thought it was both. The corridor was a swamp. Literally, a swamp. How did his brothers do it? And why did two people who could pull something like this off barely pass any OWL's? If there were just a few crocodiles and snakes it would be perfect. On second thought, scratch the snakes, some Slytherins were already slithering around, and just how many of the disgusting creatures did they need?

McGonagall visibly pulled herself together, "I was under the impression I was to meet the Headmistress here?"

Flitwick glanced towards Ron, "Oh, she and most everyone else has chased after the wizards who caused all this. I believe they're all at the main entrance. I was about to head that way myself."

And with that the small troop wheeled around and marched off towards the main entrance. Well, Ron was getting his exercise, anyway. Harry MUST have managed to talk to Sirius by now, and it sounded like the twins would be using that damn blood quill right along with him. At least they couldn't make fun of him, since they got caught as well. Ron was a little cheered at this thought.

When they got to the main entrance it reminded Ron strongly of when Trelawney had been fired. There was a huge ring of students and professors, with their own group filing in behind. In the middle of the ring, Ron caught a glimpse of Umbridge confronting his twin brothers, when two brooms zipped overhead.

The next thing he knew, Fred and George mounted their brooms, kicked off, and flew out the front doors, while everyone cheered. Part of Ron was happy the twins had gotten away, but mostly he was concerned that he was still stuck there.

Using his wand to magnify his voice, Warrington called out, "Headmistress! They didn't all get away! We still have one!"

The cheering abruptly stopped, as everyone turned to look at Ron, including a gleeful Umbridge and a gloating Filch. Ron's heart sank.


	3. Chapter 3

Lions Breed True Chapter 3

Umbridge looked like the cat who got the cream. And the canary. And quite possibly a mouse or two. In other words, she looked extremely pleased. Ron felt certain that anything that made Umbridge this happy was nothing he would enjoy.

Worse, Filch was so excited he was about ready to wet himself. Ron wished he would.

Umbridge walked up to Ron, "So, you've been helping your brothers to turn part of the school into a swamp, have you?"

"What?"

"Your brothers turned Gregory the Smarmy's corridor into a swamp! You assisted them!"

"I did not! How could I? These two goons have had a hold of me forever. Ask Professor McGonagall," retorted Ron.

"That is true," confirmed McGonagall. "I was heading for Gregory the Swarmy's corridor when I found Mr. Weasley restrained. He couldn't have helped create the swamp."

"He's the one that set off the fireworks," explained Warrington, eagerly. "It was just after five o'clock."

"And it just on the hour when his brothers turned Gregory the Smarmy's corridor into a swamp," mused Umbridge. "It was coordinated attack."

Ron automatically opened his mouth to refute this, when a sudden thought made him close it with a pop. What if Umbridge got curious as why there were coordinated disturbances?

The thought of her finding out Harry had been communicating with Sirius Black chilled Ron to the bone. It wouldn't stop at Sirius, Ron realized. If Umbridge forced Veritaserum down either his or Harry's throat, and she probably would, the whole Order of the Phoenix would be exposed.

Except for Percy, pretty much his entire family was involved with the Order of the Phoenix. Even he and Ginny had spent weeks at it's headquarters. Ron was certain that Fudge would accuse his parents and two older brothers of treason.

Ron drew in a deep breath. As much as it went against the grain, he swifty decided he better confess, and throw her off the scent.

"Alright, that's what happened. My brothers and I were causing mass confusion." Ron gave Umbridge a shaky smile, "That swamp is brilliant, don't you think?"

Umbridge stared at Ron with a strange expression, "So you admit it, do you? Mr. Filch, do you still have that approval form?"

Approval? Approval for what, Ron wondered. It sounded like some sort of permission slip, but wasn't she the Headmistress? Why would she need permission?

Filch was quivering with excitement, "I have it right here. Now, Headmistress? Now? I can do it right now!"

Ron was starting to feel uneasy, what was it that Filch was so eager to do?

Umbridge smiled that sickly sweet, fake smile, "Oh yes, I think right now is an excellent idea. But let's do it the old-fashioned way. Let's have it be public."

Ron blinked, what did she mean by public? Was everyone going to stand around and watch him rip his hand open with the blood quill?

"Boys and girls," called Umbridge, "we're all going out into the courtyard. Come along, move smartly now."

Umbridge marched out into the courtyard, followed by a confused Ron still held prisoner by Goyle and Warrington. Watching where Umbridge was heading, comprehension suddenly hit Ron, and he staggered. If he hadn't been held forcefully upright, he probably would have sunk to his knees.

Standing neglected in the courtyard was the object of many of Ron's childhood nightmares. Both the Weasley and Prewitt elders had always taken great delight in describing it in gruesome detail. It terrified Ron so much as a small child that he had quite made up his mind that nothing was going to make him go to Hogwarts.

His parents and older brothers had to reassure him repeatedly that though it still stood, it was no longer used and he had nothing to fear. He had checked it out his first year here, and told Harry all about it. The two weren't friends with Hermione yet, but she had been near by anyway and told them muggles used to have whipping posts as well.

The whipping post. He was being taken to the whipping post. He was going to be whipped, while the entire school watched. Even in his parent's day the whippings were no longer public, but were carried out in private.

Ron felt strange, as if he were in a waking nightmare. He knew he was walking, but he couldn't feel his legs. Sound was distorted and strange, almost as if he were underwater.

When they reached the steps that led to the post, Umbridge faced him while Ron hung limply between Goyle and Warrington.

"Strip to your waist."

"They've got hold of my arms," pointed out Ron, reasonably, he felt.

Umbridge glanced at Ron's captors, "Release him."

They let him go so abruptly that Ron stumbled a moment before finding his legs. His arms, bloodless from being pinned behind his back so long, dropped numbly to his sides.

"Well," snapped Umbridge impatiently, "hurry up."

Ron tried to lift his arms, but they simply wouldn't move. Umbridge seemed to understand what the problem was, and taking out her wand, she murmured a spell, and Ron felt blood rushing through his arms. It wasn't a pleasant sensation, and Ron shook his arms and flexed his fingers, getting feeling back into them.

"You should be able to use your arms now," said Umbridge, crossly, "so strip. Wait, first I'll have your prefect badge."

Ron looked down at his badge, and even amidst his terror of being whipped, felt pain over losing it. His hands were shaking so bad that he struggled to undo it, and he thought of his stunned disbelief when he had first received it.

Ron had been certain all summer that Harry would be made prefect. Still ashamed of had he had acted when Harry's name had come out of the Goblet, Ron had been determined he was going to be happy for his best mate. When he had first opened the letter naming him prefect, Ron had to reread his own name on it several times over before he believed he hadn't accidently opened Harry's owl by mistake.

Finally he managed to get the badge off, and reluctantly handed it over to Umbridge.

"Now, strip to the waist," repeated Umbridge.

Ron reached up to take off his worn, tattle-tale grey robe. He heard some of the Slytherins making snide remarks about his clothes, and flushed. The robe, sad as it was, hid clothes that were worse. His jumper was frayed, and his shirt, dingy and limp, was missing buttons.

The thought of all this being exposed to the whole school made Ron cringe. There was no option though, so with as much dignity as possible, Ron slowly stripped.

He was sweating so heavily that his clothes were drenched, and clung unpleasnatly to him. Ron shivered slightly in the cool air, trying to ignore the derision of the Slytherins.

"Merlin!" sneered Draco. "You couldn't pay me to wear those rags. Why doesn't his father get a real job?"

Ron felt a wave of pure fury. How dare Draco mock his father? There was nothing his father wouldn't do for those he loved; Arthur had even been whipped himself for Ron's mum.

It was the stuff of family legend of how Arthur and Molly had been out until 4:00 A.M., and nearly got caught. Dad had caused a diversion to let Mum slip away, but had himself been found out.

Ron had seen the scars on his father's back and asked once if he regretted it.

"I broke the rules and got caught," his dad had shrugged. "The important thing was I protected you mother. I'd have endured much worse than this to keep her safe."

Ron lifted his chin stubbornly. He was Arthur Weasley's son, and what his father could do, Ron could do.

He was a Weasley, and all Weasley's belonged in Gryffindor; the Sorting Hat said so.

So fuck all those snakes. And fuck Filch and Umbridge. Fuck them all. He would not shame the Weasley name nor the House of Gryffindor.

Setting his clothes in a neat pile, Ron marched up the steps to the post and mutely held out his wrists to be shackled. Filch eagerly snapped them on, Umbridge muttered a spell, and Ron's wrists were hauled up the post so quickly that he was thrown off balance and had to scrabble to find his footing.

The shackles rose so high that Ron was forced to his toes, and he swayed againt the post, stretched taut. A strap was fastened around his waist, holding him tight to the post.

Ron was now sweating so heavily, he was drenched. He could feel the sweat pouring down his back and it ran down his face and stung his eyes. He bit his lower lip, determined to do his best not to scream.

Even knowing it was coming, it was still a shock. The first blow lashed Ron so hard he was slammed against the post, knocking all the air out of him. He was still trying to draw in a breath when the next ripped across his back.

The pain was indescribable. Ron heard himself whimper, and despised himself for it. Determinely, he caught his lower lip in his teeth and bit down hard. He tasted blood, but that was alright, so long as he didn't scream.

Would this never end? How many lashes was he to receive anyway? Ron kept reassuring himself that he wasn't really going to die, it just felt that way. At this point, he wasn't entirely sure he didn't wish to die.

When the whipping finally stopped, Ron was greying out, barely hanging on to consciousness. His entire body was in agony. His arms were numb again, from being forced so long above his head. His ribs hurt, and his legs were cramping from being forced into an unnatural position.

Dripping from his face was a disgusting combination of sweat, tears, blood and snot. Ron longed to wipe his face clean, but was denied even that dignity.

Overriding all of this was the excruciating burning in his back. Ron felt himself shaking from the pain, and he simply couldn't quiet the moans issuing from his throat.

Ron was vaguely aware that McGonagall was arguing with Umbridge, and knew it was about him, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

"Mr Weasley," he heard McGonagall's soft voice, "I'm sorry, but you have to stay like this for two hours. Then you'll be let down. You've done well, hold on for a little longer."

If Ron had the energy he would have laughed. What choice did he have?

Fot the rest of his life, Ron would associate the next two hours with his Grandmother Weasley. She had a thing about doorways. She was completely mental about them.

If she saw anyone lingering in a doorway, she would chase them away, claiming it was unlucky.

"It's like dawn and twilight," she said, "it's betwixt and between. Danger lurks in doorways, because you're neither here nor there."

Hanging on the post by his wrists, Ron felt he was, in fact, 'betwixt and between'. Time ceased to have any meaning. It seemed as if he had been hanging there forever.

If it hadn't been for the Slytherins, yelling insults and pelting him with pebbles, Ron would have been convinced he had been forgotten.

He flinched as a rather big stone smacked his back, and Ron recognized Malfoy's yell of triumph. Stupid git. Always going on about being a pure-blood. So fucking what?

Ron's blood was as pure as Malfoy's, but Ron couldn't see any particular advantage to it. Ron only asked two things of his blood: that it keep circulating around in his body like it was suppose to and that if stayed inside his body where it belonged.

Ron was very fond of his blood staying inside his body. Unfortunately, Ron was sharply aware a whole lot of his blood had left his body. He could taste it in his mouth, and feel it, thick and dried, on his back.

Where he couldn't feel any blood was in his arms. They felt totally dead and lifeless.

He kept squinting up at his arms to make sure they were still there. Every time he saw his bruised, swollen, bleeding wrists, he would think it must hurt, but he couldn't feel any pain.

Well, not in his wrists could he feel any pain. Accept for his arms, the rest of his body was nothing but pain. He kept awkwardly shifting from foot to foot, trying to relieve some of the cramping.

His tongue felt thick and swollen, and he throat ached it was so dry.

Oh Merlin, how could two hours be this long? Hadn't he already been hanging here an eternity?

"Mr. Weasley?"

Ron blinked, confused, then realized someone had been repeating his name several times.

He managed to turn his head and recognized Madame Pomfrey.

"I'm going to release you now, then check you over to see if you are in any immediate danger. But first you should get some fluids in you."

A straw was put in Ron's mouth, and he sucked up water. Ron was certain nothing had ever tasted better.

"Better?" asked Madame Pomfrey, and Ron nodded. The next moment the shackles opened, Ron's arms dropped like dead weights, and he crumbled in a heap.

Madame Pomfrey knelt beside him with her wand out muttering intently. Ron felt the blood rushing through his arms again, and while he was somewhat glad feeling was returning to them, he wished it wasn't so uncomfortable. And he was right, his wrists hurt like a mother-fucker.

Madame Pomfrey sat back on her heels, "Mr. Weasley, you're not going into shock, so I'm not allowed to take you to the hospital wing or assist you any more."

Madame Pomfrey smiled at him sadly, "I'm sorry. No one's allowed to come up the steps of the platform unless you need immediate attention. I have to leave you now."

Ron stared at her blankly, as he slowly absorbed what she was saying. She was going to leave him here; he was on his own. The courtyard was empty. Even the Slytherins seemed to have abandoned him. Where were his friends? Where was Ginny?

Ron watched Madame Pomfrey walk down the steps in despair, never feeling more alone. It was getting dark out, and though it wasn't raining, it was damp with a chill in the air.

The platform wasn't that high, and there weren't many steps, but they looked impossible to climb down in Ron's present condition. And even if he managed to get down them, what good would it do him? Even the thought of trying to get to Gryffindor's common room was exhausting.

Shivering, Ron realized he was still half-naked. He needed his clothes, but they were at the bottom of the steps. Well, they had been at the bottom of the steps. They seemed to have disappeared.

Frowning, Ron scanned the courtyard in the gathering gloom, and finally spotted his clothes in a mudpuddle. Evidently the Slytherins hadn't been content with taunting him, they had also gone after his clothes, sad as they already were.

Ron stared at his discarded robe, jumper, tie and shirt laying in the muck. He had always hated the ill-fitting, patched clothes he was forced to wear, but for some reason the snakes treating his clothes that way infuriated him so much it overrode his pain and brought him to his feet. True, he was bent over double, but nevertheless was intent on getting down the stairs.

His descent was anything but graceful. Ron stumbled on the first step, fell face first, and slid the rest of the way. Jarred, he struggled to keep from bursting into tears.

Ron curled up in the fetal position, panting, trying to get over the shock of the fall and mustering up his strength. Once more he got to his feet, though he was still doubled over and clutching his aching ribs.

Ron stumbled over to his disgusting, muddy clothes, and abruptly every ounce of energy left him. He sunk to his knees in the muck, and braced his upper body on his outstretched arms.

Bowed over, shaking with pain, fatique and cold, Ron admitted defeat. A small rational part of his mind assured him eventually someone, probably Pomfrey or McGonagall, would rescue him, but who knew when that would be?

There was simply no way Ron was going to be able to drag himself back to his common room, and no one had come to help him.

"Ron, come on, look at me mate."

The sound of that voice made Ron's head snap up. Harry.

 **I have a few notes to hopefully clear up any confusion. The part about Arthur being whipped is hinted at in GoF when Molly and Bill are spending the day with Harry before the final task.**

 **No where in canon does Rowling suggest a whipping post, so that's my idea. But in support of a public whipping, I would like to point out that not that long ago corporal punishment both of prisoners and school children often was public.**

 **There are areas in the world today where this still occurs. The reasoning is that it adds humiliation to the punishment, and serves as a deterrent to observers.**

 **I would also like to explain what a whipping post was, because some readers may be envisioning a pillory. Pillories were used this way, but often a whipping post was different.**

 **They tied people to all sorts of things in order to whip them: carts, barrels, donkeys, ladders and benches, to name a few. But often there was a literal post; some were thick and the victim embraced it and was tied to it. Others were thin with a metal bracket attached for the hands to be tied to.**

 **Usually they were on a platform of some sort, so viewers could see better. What I have envisioned is a thin one on a platform.**

 **Then, of course, there's the question of the whip itself. There are whips lightly made intended to raise welts and cause pain, but are unlikely to draw blood or leave scars.**

 **On the other extreme, there are heavy whips with metal bits and hooks embedded into them intended both to break bones and rip off flesh. People often die after being whipped with these.**

 **I'm kind of going with a middle route. Let's all agree that the conditions at Hogwarts in DH are not suppose to be normal, but generally the school, like most schools, would be cautious about risking doing lasting damage to a student.**

 **Umbridge evidently needs to fill out some sort of form in order to whip a child, so it's reasonable to believe there are limits to how harsh the punishment could be.**

 **On the other hand, Arthur was left with life time scars, so it wouldn't be too light a whipping either.**

 **I'm going on the assumption that Ron will have scars just like his father, but his health won't truly be endangered. I hope this helps clear up any questions.**


	4. Chapter 4

Lions Breed True Chapter 4

It wasn't just Harry, Ron realized. Hermione, Ginny and Neville were there as well. Harry and Neville were flanking him, while the girls were kneeling in front of him. They all took turns talking in a rather disjointed conversation.

"Oh Ron, you look so horrible!" exclaimed Hermione.

"We meant to be here earlier, but Umbridge had everyone confined to their common rooms," Harry told him. "She almost had a riot on her hands for whipping you."

"I'm so proud of you big brother."

"Well, the toad let the Slyterins out, bloody unfair," continued Harry.

"Do you know that bitch wanted to leave you here all night?" asked Ginny.

"Actually it was the Inquisitorial Squad that was let out, not all Slytherins," observed Neville.

"Are you in a lot of pain? How did you bruise your face?" worried Hermione.

"Same difference," snarled Harry. "The Inquisitorial Squad is pretty much the Slytherins."

"McGonagall got into a huge fight with her in front of the entire school, and it was reduced to two hours," Ginny went on.

"We managed to sneak in and see Madame Pomfrey, she gave us some stuff to help you. It's back at the dorm," Hermione informed him.

"Not all Slytherins are in the Inquisitorial Squad," said Neville. "Just the worst of the lot."

Ron was starting to get a headache to go along with all his other aches and pains.

"Don't you think you should be back in the common room?"

Ron silently blessed his sister's good sense. He would have done so verbally, but talking simply required too much energy. Instead he reached for his robe, because he refused to walk half naked through the school.

"No! You can't wear that! Here, we'll just throw this across your shoulders, yeah?" Harry surrendered his own robe and draped it over Ron.

Ron managed to whisper out a thanks. Hermione in the mean time had dragged Ron's clothes out of the mud, "Since I'm not allowed to use magic outside the classroom, I'll just have to carry them like this. I hope I do get Filch's floors all muddy, it would serve him right!"

If Ron had the strength, he would have pointed out she was also getting all muddy. Instead he used what little strength he had to try to pull himself up to his feet.

Harry and Neville grabbed his arms to help him. Ron leaned against Neville since he was studier than Harry, and they started the painstaking process of traversing to Gryffindor.

As soon as they entered the main doors, Dean and Seamus came up and suggested to Harry and Neville, "Why don't we spell you two for a bit?"

After that there seemed to be a steady stream of the older Gryffindor boys rotating in and out to help Ron walk back to the tower.

Colin was his usual Harry-worshipping self, "I took some pictures of Harry watching you get whipped. I'll show them to you. He was really upset."

Fortunately, Colin was small and tired out quickly, so Ron didn't have to endure him very long. He wasn't as lucky with an obnoxious 6th year named Cormac.

"You did fairly well in not screaming. Of course, you still whimpered and jerked about quite a bit. Now if it had been me, I would have been perfectly still."

"Pity it wasn't you then," Ron managed to gasp out.

When they finally made it to the common room, Ron collapsed for a breather on a couch while the rest of the Gryffindors clamored around him.

Ron felt his big rough hand seized by two dainty soft ones, and pretty Lavender Brown cooed, "Oh Ronnie-poo! You were so brave! What happened to your poor face?"

Before Ron could respond, Hermione said frostily, "Excuse me Lavender, but Ginny, Harry and I need to get Ron up to the dorm to tend to his injuries."

"May I help?" asked Lavender, sweetly.

"No, we got it," said Harry hastily. "Come on mate, to your feet. Trust me, you'll feel better when we're done."

So wincing, Ron got to his feet, and stumbled up the steps to the dorm, with Harry lending a steadying hand, and Hermione and Ginny trailing after them.

Ron could hear Hermione muttering, "Ronnie-poo! Honestly, is he still five? Next she'll call him Wonnie."

As soon as they got to the dorm room Harry rushed to his trunk and brought back two potion bottles.

"Here Ron, take a sip of these, they'll help."

Ron eyed them with misgiving, "What are they?"

Harry grinned, "Pepper-up Potion and a pain potion. I didn't dare give them to you earlier, but Pomfrey slipped them to us. She's furious that she's not allowed to help you more. By the way, you're to see her tomorrow so she can check you over."

Ron gratefully sipped some of each potion, and immediately felt a little better.

"Ron, do you think you could stand getting a shower?" asked Ginny anxiously.

"That sounds brilliant," said Ron.

Hermione went into mother hen mode, "Harry, you stay with him to make sure he doesn't fall or anything. And don't have the water too hot."

"Yes, Hermione."

"Ron, be very gentle in washing the wounds, don't rub them or anything."

"Yes, Hermione."

"Maybe you should put a towel on the floor of the shower so it's not too slick."

"Hermione! It's a shower! We can handle it!"

Hermione flushed, "Well I'm sorry that I'm concerned."

Harry and Ron went into the bathroom, closed the door, looked at each other, and said, "Girls!"

"They will fuss so!" complained Ron.

"Well, to be fair, she does have some cause for concern. You're a right mess," pointed out Harry.

"Yeah, I feel it," agreed Ron, toeing off his shoes.

Harry looked dubious, "Do you need help?" he asked, gesturing toward Ron's trousers.

"Oi! I can manage on my own," said an alarmed Ron.

"Thank Merlin. Okay, the shower's warm, not hot, there's no towel on the floor, and don't scrub too hard. I'll be out here in case you slip. Please don't."

Ron gave his best mate a sour look before getting into the shower. Felling better and cleaner afterwards (he didn't slip), Ron dried himself, took a deep breath, and went to a mirror to assess the damage.

He could see why everyone was concerned about his face; he had a spectacular bruise on his left cheek from his swan dive down the platform steps.

Ron also had numerous bruises on his ribs from the same source. His wrists were rubbed raw and were swollen and bruised.

Twisting this way and that, he could see his back. It wasn't as bad as he feared, it wasn't shredded, but it was bad enough. He was going to have scars to rival his dad's.

Thinking about it, Ron realized that like his father, he didn't regret it. He broke the rules and got caught; what was important was who he had protected: Harry, Sirius, his parents, his older brothers, and everyone else connected to the Order of the Phoenix.

Harry was watching him with that brooding look Ron had learned to detest. Brilliant. Now Harry was going to take the blame of everything that happened on his skinny shoulders.

"Don't start, I don't want to hear it," Ron warned.

"It should have been me," said Harry.

"Why?"

"You did this for me."

"Harry, as fond as I am of you, not everything in my life revolves around you."

"If I hadn't wanted to talk to Sirius," started Harry.

"Harry, just stop, you're not listening to me. I don't know what's it's like to be the boy-who-lived. I'm not an orphan. I wasn't raised by people who dislike me. I don't really understand muggles much. The one time I tried to use a fellyphone it turned out bad.

"But guess what? You don't know what's it's like to be me either. You seem to believe I had this idylic childhood. And some of it was great, but not all of it.

"We pure-bloods grew up in the aftermath of a brutal war. My parents fought in that war. My uncles died in that war. My older brothers remember that war.

"You don't know the shadows and fear that war left. You don't know the pain and sorrow that war left.

"You grew up without a mum. I grew up watching my mother mourn her twin brothers. Until Dad wised up and got her that clock, I grew up watching my mother panic if someone was five minutes late getting home, convinced that a revengeful death eater had gotten them.

"I grew up watching my dad and mum and older brothers shake in fear if a certain name was mentioned.

"You and Hermione always mock me because I'm afraid of you-know-who's name."

Harry started to protest at this, but Ron shook his head.

"I see both of you roll your eyes. What you didn't see is what happened the one time I said that name when I was about six."

Harry stared at him fearfully, "What did happen?"

"Nothing, really" Ron shrugged. "But Dad snatched up his wand and screamed at Mum to hide us while he fought off the death eaters. Bill and Charlie were petrified. They grabbed the twins and ran. Percy wailed that we were all going to die, while Mum shoved Ginny and me into the fireplace and flued us to Aunt Muriel's."

 **(Rowling makes no bones about the fact that Voldemort is the wizarding equivalent of Hitler. But while people were terrified of Hitler, no one was afraid of his name. The only thing that makes sense to me why people are afraid to say Voldemort is if his name was taboo in the first war just like it is in the second war. So I'm going on the assumption that the wizarding world had ingrained into them that saying the name would bring snatchers.)**

Ron hesitated, "I hero-worshipped Bill and Charlie. Today it seems strange, since at the time Bill was the same age I am now, and Charlie was only fourteen, but at the time they seemed quite grown-up to me.

"I thought they were magnificant. It never occurred to me before that day that they could be scared of anything.

"And I knew my parents had fought in the war. I was sure they were both very brave.

"It always worried me that I could never be as brave as Dad and Mum and my brothers. But that day I saw all four of them scared spitless.

"It was a turning point. I didn't get it all at six, but I started to understand the sheer terror the war caused. How afraid everyone was during the war, and how much courage it took to fight."

Ron drew a deep breath, "The point is, no one fought the war for you. They fought against an evil wizard, his followers and the horror they created.

"Now he's back,and we're going to have to fight again. It's completely mental that right now that means fighting against Fudge and Umbridge, but well, there you are.

"You didn't create this mess any more than I did. And I have as much obligation to fight as you do. So get over yourself."

Harry stared at him speechless, and Ron feared he had gone too far.

Then Harry grinned, "Fine, I'll get over myself. Maybe you should put some clothes on. The girls are probably wondering what's taking so long,"

"Good point," laughed Ron, pulling on his pajama bottoms, before they headed out to where the girls were waiting.

"Finally!" exclaimed Ginny. "We were about to send in a rescue mission."

"Ginny, hush," protested Hermione. "Come here Ron, and sit on the bed.

"We've some ointment to put on your back, and some dittany for your wrists."

Ron smiled tentively at Hermione, "Are you going to say I told you so?"

"No! How can you think that of me?"

"Well, you were right."

"So were you!" exclaimed Hermione. "Umbridge shouldn't be allowed to monitor our owls. She's turned the school into a prison."

"And now the twins have left," commented Ginny. "It's going to be up to us to keep causing chaos to upset Umbridge."

Ron scowled, "Good thing Percy's already graduated. He'd be on Umbridge's side. He thinks she's charming."

Hermione flushed, and said haltingly, "Ron, about what you said this morning, it isn't true. I mean," she added hurriedly, "about you being lame."

Ginny looked puzzled, "What's this about Ron being lame?"

"He claimed to be lamer than Percy," Harry told her.

"Oh please, it's impossible to be lamer than Percy," said an incredulous Ginny.

"That's what I said," exclaimed Harry.

Ginny looked at her brother, "Ron no one could have taken that whipping better than you did. Not the twins, not Charlie, not even Bill. They might have taken it as well, but they couldn't have taken it better."

Ron couldn't think of anything to say to that except for a quiet thanks, which was just as well, because there wasn't anything else to say.

After his wounds were dressed, Harry produced another potion to help him sleep, and Harry and Ginny slipped out of the room, while Hermione lingered a moment.

"You're alright? You'll be able to sleep?"

"I'm fine," Ron slurred, barely able to keep his eyes open.

"Then I'll leave you to it," said Hermione quietly.

Then she added so softly that Ron knew he wasn't meant to hear, "And I guarantee there's one girl at this school who very much wants to snog you."

 **I have some added notes here explaining how I came up with this story. However, at first, they aren't going to seem to relate to the story. I promise they will at the end.**

 **The Harry Potter books, like most classical British literature, are based on alchemy.**

 **As I noted in an earlier one-shot (What's in a Name?), both Hermione's name and initials stand for mercury. In alchemy, mercury is the White Queen. She is associated with the moon, her colors are white and silver, and she is cool, logical, and quick thinking.**

 **Both chemistry and alchemy agree that mercury always craves sulfur. Mercury LOVES sulfur, and wants nothing more than to bond with it. In alchemy, sulfur and mercury act together as purifying agents. Harry is what's being purified.**

 **Sulfur is the Red King. He is associated with the sun, his colors are red and orange, and he is hot-tempered and emotional. Ron is the Red King, but neither his name nor his initials stand for sulfur. Rowling signals Ron's the Red King by his hair color, his devotion to the orange-themed Cannons and his personality. (Ron is the name of King Arthur's LANCE. But we know from the chess game our Ron is a knight. Ergo, he is Lancelot as well as the Red King. Hermione, however, is not Guinevere. That would be Ginny; Ginevra is a variation of the name Guinevere.)**

 **It is a basic law of alchemy that the Red King and White Queen must marry; their union is symbolized by a rose. (So no, there was never any chance that Ron was either going to be killed or Hermione end up with someone else, whatever the Ron bashers desperately want to believe.)**

 **Before the Red King and White Queen finally get together though, the White Queen inflicts quite a few bumps, bruises and scars on our hapless Red King. In addition to the times Hermione herself attacks Ron, things that symbolize her also attack him.**

 **The first time is in the chess game. Rowling goes with white against black, but in some chess sets it's white against red. Ron is already the Red King, but he chooses to play as the knight. He wins, but has to sacrifice himself and is taken out by the one piece that represents mercury/Hermione: the White Queen.**

 **In the fifth book I expected Ron to be whipped. Instead, he is attacked by the brains. Even without alchemy Hermione is known as the brains of the trio. Brains also symbolize mercury and the White Queen.**

 **So when sulfur summons the brains, they are eager to fly to their Red King and try to bond with him. They injure him. The wounds and later scars from the wounds are described as welts. Welts imply a whipping. In essense, the White Queen WHIPS the Red King.**

 **In conclusion, I believe (but I could be wrong) that Rowling did originally intend to have Ron whipped (she certainly foreshadowed a whipping enough). But she substituted the brains instead. This is my attempt to recreate how the whipping might have happened. As always, I appreciate anyone reading and any feedback is welcome.**


	5. Chapter 5

_Lions Breed True Chapter 5_

 _"What do you see, Ronnie?"_

 _Ronnie_ _looked_ _up at Grandpa Weasley, confused, then looked down at the chessboard. What was there to see? There was only the chessboard and Grandpa KNEW that. After all, he was teaching Ronnie chess._

 _Ronnie felt that familiar feeling of despair flooding over him. He had been so hopeful that this time it was going to be different. This time, someone was going to think he was good enough._

 _But no, even Grandpa was asking him one of those deceptively easy questions that everyone always asked Ronnie, and Ronnie NEVER got right._

 _"Is it black or is it white, Ronnie?" they would always say, and Ronnie would look and see grey. But if he said that, they got annoyed with him._

 _"It's an easy question," they would insist. "Black or white, which is it?"_

 _So Ronnie would try to guess, and he always guessed wrong. He even tried to reverse what he thought he should say, and it was still wrong._

 _And to make it worse, everyone else always knew the correct answer, even Ginny. When he answered wrong, they would either mock him, get angry with him, or pity him. He was never sure which one he hated more._

 _He never could understand how everyone else always knew the right answer, and why it was always him they questioned. Why didn't they ask someone who knew the right answer instead of him?_

 _Ronnie had known Grandpa was going to teach him chess. It was a rite of passage all his brothers went through, and Ronnie had been looking forward to his turn._

 _He had watched his brothers and father play forever, and tried to get them to let him play, but they said he wasn't old enough._

 _"When you're seven," they said. "Grandpa starts teaching you when you're seven."_

 _It was one of the best things about turning seven, because Ronnie believed he already knew a lot about chess, and hoped Grandpa would like teaching him (everyone knew he had declared the twins hopeless, and had given up training them)._

 _But now here Grandpa was asking one of those silly questions that made no sense to Ronnie, and he had no good answer._

 _"It's a chess set," he finally said, because he had no clue what Grandpa really wanted him to say._

 _"Yes, of course it's a chess set, but what do you see when you look at the chess set?"_

 _Ronnie looked carefully at the chess set. There was the board itself, and the chess pieces. He thought he was suppose to say the pieces, but truly he saw the board more; it was bigger after all._

 _"The board?" he offerd. "The black and white squares?"_

 _Then Ronnie hung his head, feeling stupid. He should have said the pieces, he knew it. Grandpa was going to decide he was thick just like everyone else thought, and not want to waste time teaching him chess._

 _"Exactly!"_

 _Surprised, Ronnie looked up to see Grandpa beaming at him._

 _"You might be my first grandchild who's actually a chess player!"_

 _"But all my brothers play," protested Ronnie. "Most of my Weasley cousins play."_

 _Grandpa grimanced, "They know the moves. There's a difference between knowing the moves and being a true player who understands the game."_

 _"People who know the moves worry about the pieces. True players realize the squares, and how different pieces control the squares is what the game is really about."_

 _"So the board was the correct answer?"_

 _"It's not so much a right or wrong answer Ronnie. Your brothers all said the pieces when I asked. They were all being honest. But I knew with that answer they would never be real chess players._

 _"But you look at things differently. And because of that, you can be a real player, and not just know the moves."_

Ron woke with a start, rolled over on his back, and sat up abruptly with a yelp.

"Ron? Are you alright?" came a harsh whisper.

Ron blinked, and peered around, confused.

He was in a lot of pain, with his back feeling like it was on fire. He was drenched in sweat, and felt slightly feverish. Ron was shaking off the remants of a strange dream, more of a memory, about learning chess from Grandpa. But he was sure he was in his dorm at school. So why did he just hear that voice?

"Ginny?" he asked out loud. "Is that you?"

"Yeah," came the reply. "Hold on, I've got my wand, lumos."

Ron blinked in the sudden light, and saw his sister's head, hand and wand peeking through his bed curtains.

"Why are you here?"

"Checking on you, of course. Why else would I be here?"

"You two might want to quiet it down, or you'll wake everyone," observed Harry, poking his head between the curtains.

"Join the party," said Ron dryly. "All we need now is Hermione."

"She's in the common room," Ginny told them. "We've been taking turns checking up on you."

"I know," said Harry. "All night long, every few minutes, it's been one or the other of you popping in and out. I had planned to keep on eye on Ron, but there wasn't much point."

Seamus muttered in his sleep and rolled over, and the three of them quieted, listening intently if anyone had woken.

"Maybe we should join Hermione in the common room," suggested Ron. "I feel like getting out of this bed anyway."

"Sounds good," agreed Harry, "but do you need more pain potion first?"

"Oh please," said Ron fervently.

Feeling considerably better from the potion, Ron slowly made his way down to the common room with the other two.

"Ron, what are you doing out of bed?" asked Hermione anxiously. She felt his forehead, "Are you running a fever?"

"I'm fine Hermione," answered Ron impatiently. "I just needed to get up for a minute."

"You'll get chilled," worried Hermione. "Here, put this blanket around you."

Truthfully, Ron didn't want a blanket, as he felt slightly warm, but he was use to indulging overbearing witches so he accepted the blanket.

"I'm hungry. There isn't anything to eat, is there?"

Harry sat up, "That's easy to take care of. Besides, I'm hungry too."

Ignoring Hermione's frown, Harry called, "Dobby!"

Immediately the elf appeared.

"Does Harry Potter need Dobby?"

"Yes, we all missed our supper. Can you bring us some sandwiches?"

"And pudding!" threw in Ron.

"Dobby be happy to bring Harry Potter and his Wheezy some food!" and with that the elf disappeared.

"Harry Potter and his Wheezy?" smirked Ginny. "Is there something going on with you two we should know about?"

Harry and Ron stared at her in horror.

"Ginny, you've a sick mind, do you know that?" asked Ron, finally.

Before she could reply, Dobby abruptly reappeared, with all sorts of food. They thanked him profusely, and he happily left again.

The four of them stared at the mounds of food he left.

"We'll never be able to eat all that," protested Hermione.

"Speak for yourself, I'm starved," said Ron, grabbing a sandwich. "By the way, I know why I missed supper, but why did the three of you?"

"Ron," said, Hermione slowly, "when it, the whipping, was over, you seemed to be unconscious. Are you aware of what happened afterwards?"

"I knew McGonagall was arguing with Umbridge about me. I remember McGonagall saying I had to stay on the post for two hours. But most of it's kind of a blur."

"Well, you missed a lot," said Harry, after swallowing a bite of his sandwich.

"Umbridge said you had to stay on the post until morning. The entire House of Gryfinndor was threatening to storm the platform and take you down."

"Which we couldn't have done, by the way," Hermione told them. If anybody would bother to read..."

"...Hogwarts, a History," they all chimed in...

"...you would know the steps to the platform are charmed just like the steps to the girl's dorm," continued Hermione.

"Wait," said Ron. "Harry and I went up those steps our first year here."

"No one had been whipped. The charm only goes into affect when there's a whipping."

"So why aren't I still on the post? Not that I'm not grateful to be off of it."

"There was literally almost a riot," Harry told him. "The Hufflepuffs and the Ravenclaws joined us in screaming to take you down."

"McGonagall cast a silencing spell over the entire school," said Ginny in awe. "Only the professors could talk."

"All the professors joined McGonagall in arguing that you couldn't be left there all night," said Hermione. "It was Snape who finally won the arguement."

"SNAPE?" asked Ron in amazement.

Ginny cleared her throat, and did a creditable imitation, "The boy is rather thick, and not a particularly good student, but he is a Weasley. The Weasley clan is very big, if extremely poor. They're also part of the Sacred Tweny-eight, and related to most of the other pure-bloods. If he ends up in St Mungos, or worse, there will be quite a scandal.

"That scared her. Besides, she's such a snob, she's impressed we're part of the Sacred Twenty-eight even if we are blood-traitors."

"Um, what exactly is the Sacred Twenty-eight?" asked Harry.

"It's a list of the most pure-blooded families in Britain," answered Ron. "Dad's mortified we're on the list."

Harry and Hermione stared at the other two.

"I didn't realize your family was so important," said Hermione.

"We're not," said Ginny.

"Don't be impressed," threw in Ron. "Neville and Hannah Abbott and Ernie Macmillion are on the list as well. Most of the others on the list are Slytherins."

"The Blacks are on the list too," added Ginny.

"It's really meaningless," said Ron. "But Umbridge is the sort to be impressed by it."

"I take it she's not on the list?" questioned Harry.

"Nope," said Ginny cheerfully, "and you can bet it bothers her we're on the list and she's not. It was clever of Snape really, using that against her."

"Don't give him too much credit," said Harry sourly. "He's in the Order of the Phoenix as well, so he didn't want Ron questioned too closely."

"You may have saved his life, Ron," said Hermione thoughtfully. "Your parents would have been accused of treason, but if the death eaters found out Snape is a double agent they would try to kill him."

"Don't expect any gratitude," observed Harry. "My father saved his life, and Snape hated him for it."

"Ugh, the thought of Snape being grateful to me is just disturbing," said Ron. "Still, I don't know why you missed supper."

"The two hours was a compromise," Ginny explained. "If we would all shut up, be good little witches and wizards and go back to our common rooms, she would let you down in two hours.

"But we were only let out for supper shortly before the two hours was up. The three of us went to see Pomfrey instead of going to eat."

"I think Pomfrey was expecting us," said Hermione. "She had the potions and ointment ready and waiting."

"She also warned us that Umbridge would be watching to see if anyone tried to give you some pain potions, so we came back here to hide everything," Harry informed him. "That's why we were late getting out to you."

"I'm just glad you showed up when you did. I was feeling lonely out there. Even the snakes had slithered away."

Harry stiffened, "Snakes? Were the Slytherins out there earlier?"

"Of course they were," said Ron bitterly. "You don't think I threw my own clothes in the muck, do you? Those clothes need binned, but they're better than going around starkers."

The other three were staring at him intently.

"What else did they do?" asked Harry harshly.

Ron squirmed. He was suddenly aware that he truly didn't wish to see anyone, but especially THESE three, up on that post. He honestly wasn't sure if he would enjoy seeing Malfoy whipped, but he knew he knew it would be unbearable to watch Harry, Hermione or Ginny whipped.

"It doesn't matter, really. Let's just drop it, yeah?"

"No," answered Harry, flatly, "we will not just drop it."

"Harry, please," pleaded Ron, "it doesn't matter."

"They couldn't have gotten up the steps to hit you," Harry mused, "because Hermione just told us they're charmed."

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Ginny. "They threw stuff at him."

"It had to be the Inquisitorial Squad, because they were the only ones that were out. Let me guess," sneered Harry, "Malfoy."

Hermione's eyes flashed, "That sounds like that sniveling little coward!"

"Do you know," said Harry, "I met him for the first time on my eleventh birthday when I was with Hagrid in Diagon Alley. I decided then and there I didn't like him, and I've never had cause to question that decision."

"Yeah," agreed Ron. "We're all know Malfoy is a sneak, a tattle-tale, a coward, a snob, and a really boring spoiled daddy's boy. Unfortunately, he's also a favorite of Umbridge's, and we can't risk going against him at the moment."

 **(Okay, that's my personal rant on all the fan fiction writers who LIKE Draco. I base the characters on true canon: the books. I defy anyone to pick out a passage from any one of the books that shows Draco in an admirable light. It can't be done. There is quite frankly NOTHING remotely likable about the character.)**

"Speak for yourself!" retorted Harry. "I'm not afraid of that little wimp."

"In a fair fight, I'm not afraid of him either," replied Ron, stung. "The point is, things aren't fair right now.

"Harry, do you think I want to watch you whipped? Or see my sister or Hermione up on that post? Well, I don't."

Harry deflated, "You're thinking of us?"

"Harry," Hermione worried, "Ron has a valid point. Umbridge has a taste for it now. She was positively giddy with excitement while Ron was whipped. She'll be looking for fresh victims, and she's already been targeting you."

"Please Harry, my brother and Hermione are right. Don't give her and Malfoy the satisfaction of whipping you. Not to mention Filch."

"Fine," snarled Harry, "Malfoy is off limits for now. But it's going in my personal ledger. I'll get revenge on him eventually."

Ron blinked, a little overwhelmed that Harry would need to revenge him being tormented by Draco while he was helpless.

Hermione was watching Ron with that worried look on her face, "You look done in. I think you should go back to bed."

"Yeah," he yawned, "I think I can sleep now."

"Were you having nightmares?" questioned Ginny. "You sort of yelled in your sleep."

"Nah, I just rolled over on my back," answered Ron. He hesitated, then continued, "I was dreaming about Grandpa teaching me chess."

"Your Grandpa Weasley?" asked Harry. "It's his chess set you have, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Ginny answered. "He gave Ron his chess set because he said Ron was the only one of his grandchildren who was a true chess player."

"Everyone else just knows the moves," said Ron absently, while he pondered the dream.

"It's strange," he said slowly, "because I was thinking about Grandma Weasley while I was hanging on the post."

Ginny looked astonished, "Grandma Weasley? But she's been dead for ages!"

"Doorways," Ron answered, in that cryptic shorthand common to all sibling everywhere.

Ginny nodded in understanding while Harry and Hermione looked mystified.

"Doorways?" asked Harry.

"She was mental about them," explained Ron.

"She wasn't afraid to walk through them," Ginny clarified, "but she freaked out if anyone lingered in one. She said it was unlucky because you were betwixt and between."

"That's what it felt like when I was on the post," said Ron.

"You felt betwixt and between? Oh, just hanging there," said Hermione comprehending.

Harry shuddered, "That's actually sort of disturbing."

There was a moment of silence while they all pondered this, then Ginny asked, "Do you think you dreamed about Grandpa because you had thought of Grandma earlier?"

"Maybe. But," Ron hesitated, "it felt almost like Grandpa was warning me."

Harry went on the alert, "Warning you? About what?"

"Well, it would have to be a metaphor," Ron thought. "In chess, it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture.

"You can worry too much about the pieces, and fall into traps, and your opponent can end up controlling the board."

"Yeah, like you do to me all the time," noted Harry, somewhat disgruntled.

Ron ignored him, "I think what it means is we need not to get too swept up in fighting Fudge and Umbridge. The true enemy is you-know-who and his followers.

"Fudge is sort of a poisoned pawn."

"For those of us who are not chess experts, what's a poisoned pawn?" inquired Hermione.

"It's a pawn that's left hanging, and seems easy to pick up. But if you take it, you either have a really bad position or lose material in the long run.

"It's a mistake to take it. It would be a mistake for us to waste too much time and energy fighting Fudge and Umbridge. It will leave us weaker for the real fight."

Harry perked up, obviously eager to talk this over, but the girls over ruled him.

"No!" exclaimed Ginny, "Now's not the time, we're too tired."

"I think we should discuss this more later, right now we need some sleep," declared Hermione. "Ron, don't forget, you need to see Madame Pomfrey tomorrow. You're not going to classes are you?"

Ron was surprised, "Are you joking? A wild hippogriff couldn't keep me away. Of course I'm going to classes."

 **In response to a review, I don't dislike Percy. But at this point in time everyone would be pretty upset with him and mocking him. Actually, if I can write it like I want, I'm going to show some Ron/Percy brotherly bonding in flashback. Thanks again for reading.**


	6. Chapter 6

Lions Breed True Chapter 6

 **I want to thank everyone who has reviewed or is following this story. It still thrills me that anyone enjoys reading my stories. It's especially nice to know I'm not the only Ron fan in the world. The amount of Ron bashing in fan fiction is down right depressing! Thanks again for reading.**

His life, Ron decided, was entirely too dominated by really strong and scary witches.

Case in point, the two who were currently glaring at him and muttering aspersions on his intelligence and common sense. Alright, maybe they had a valid point.

"Foolish, pig-headed boy! Honestly, trying to go to classes after being brutally whipped!" scolded Madame Pomfrey.

"Mr. Weasley, I am seriously disappointed in you. What your mother will say about you risking your health this way I shudder to think," chided Professor McGonagall.

Ron shuddered himself, "She doesn't need to know, does she?"

Professor McGonagall gave him an incredulous look, "Oh, I assure you Mr. Weasley, your mother will definately hear about this."

"Get into bed, this instant! The only good thing about this foolish stubbornness of yours is that you're now in a high fever.

"No one, not even the Headmistress, can say you don't belong in the hospital wing," declared Madame Pomfrey with grim satisfaction.

Being Molly Prewitt Weasley's son had taught Ron that there's a certain point where trying to resist really angry strong witches is futile. And he was long past that point. His best option was to meekly submit with as much dignity intact as possible.

So Ron humbly crawled into bed, and vainly hoped the angry witches would have pity on him. They didn't, of course. He was given an earful about how foolish he was, and this on top of the earful he had received the night before.

 _"Ron, you can't be serious!" screeched Hermione after he announced he was going to class the next day._

 _"Of course I'm serious! I'm be damned if I let that bitch win!"_

 _"So that's what's this is about? I knew it wasn't concern for your studies," snapped Hermione._

 _"Thanks Hermione! Nice to know you're on my side!" shot back Ron._

 _"I am on your side! But you're behaving just like a man!"_

 _Ron blinked, was that an insult? He glanced at Harry, who looked just as confused as Ron felt. Harry shrugged helplessly at him._

 _Hermione ranted on, "You and Harry, you're both alike. Full of your stupid male ego and pride. Harry refused to be reasonable and tell McGonagall about the blood quill, and now you're going to try to go to classes when you clearly should be in bed."_

 _"I'm not going to try to go to classes," said Ron heatedly. "I AM going to classes."_

 _"HA! You'll never last out the day. I can't believe you're being so idiotic!"_

 _"Oh, trust me, Hermione. My brother can be just that idiotic!"_

 _"You can hardly walk! What makes you think you can sit in classes all day!" demanded Hermione._

 _"That's just the point!" retorted Ron. "I'll be sitting all day!"_

" _You still_ _have to walk all over a huge castle, up and down staircases to get to those classes!' argued Hermione._

 _"Harry, you're his best mate. Talk to him." pleaded Ginny._

 _Harry looked uncomfortable, "Well, it's his choice, isn't it?"_

 _"There! See? It's MY choice," said Ron, smugly. "That's all there is to say about it."_

 _Of course it wasn't. Hermione was as strong and scary as witches could come, and she knew a LOT of words. She practically threw a whole dictionary of derogatory terms at him._

 _Whenever Hermione had to pause to catch a breath, Ginny started in on Ron. Ron had always known Ginny wasn't as sweet or demure as many believed; his little sister had too much of Mum in her for that. And she did Mum proud, the way she tore into him._

 _Why couldn't Ron have at least one somewhat soft and gentle witch in his life? Someone like say, Lavender?_

 _But even strong witches need rest eventually, and finally both Hermione and Ginny gave up, and Ron gratefully went to bed._

 _The next morning both girls and Harry reminded Ron he was to go see Madame Pomfrey._

 _"Maybe she can talk you out of this foolishness," said Hermione, tartly._

 _"I haven't time now. I'll go later," argued Ron._

 _At least Ron had the satisfaction of seeing the shock on everyone's faces when he walked into the Great Hall. Umbridge, he noted gleefully, looked positively stunned._

 _Professor McGonagall was decidedly unhappy._

 _"Mr. Weasley, I didn't expect you to be out of bed."_

 _""He shouldn't be," muttered Hermione._

 _"Have you been to see Madame Pomfrey? She needs to check you over," said McGonagall._

 _"I'm going there soon," promised Ron, somewhat deceptively, his eye on Umbridge, who was fast approaching them. "But I want you to bear witness that I'm giving my sister my broom."_

 _There was a moment of shocked silence, and Ron had another moment of pure joy at the furious expression on Umbridge's face._

 _"Hem, hem. I'm confiscating your broom," Umbridge said._

 _"I don't have a broom," Ron answered._

 _Umbridge looked angry, "I'm taking the broom you did have!"_

 _McGonagall whirled around to face her, "You're seizing Miss Weasley's broom? May I ask why?"_

 _"She doesn't have a broom!"_

 _"Yes she does," answered McGonagall. "You heard Mr. Weasley. There's no reason I know of that he can't gift his own sister. And Miss Weasley has done nothing to warrent having her broom taken away from her."_

 _Umbridge backed down, "Fine! Miss Weasley may keep the broom! But I'm keeping an eye on these four!"_

 _McGonagall glared at the four in question, "Stay out of trouble! And Mr. Weasley, go see Madame Pomfrey!" With that she strode away, following Umbridge._

 _"I'll give it back to you Ron," promised Ginny. "That was very clever of you, but it's still your broom."_

 _"Well, I'm bound to be restricted from Quidditch, which is no great lost to the team," replied Ron, gloomily. "At least this way you'll have a better broom to help the team."_

 _Ginny gave him a peck on the cheek, "You're the best of annoying big brothers. But I wish you would go back to bed."_

 _Harry was grinning at Ron, "Well done! I wish I had managed to do the same. It would be nice if someone could fly my broom."_

 _"Yes Ron, it was very clever of you. But you heard Professor McGonagall, you need to go see Madame Pomfrey," said Hermione._

 _"I need to eat breakfast first, I'm starved," replied Ron._

 _After breakfast, some how it seemed reasonable to put off going to see Pomfrey until after classes. Well, to Ron it seemed reasonable. Hermione didn't agree. And she was very vocal about expressing that._

 _But buoyed by Pepper-up Potion, pain potion, and his victory over Umbridge, Ron managed to sweep Hermione's complaints aside and go to class._

 _Charms was first, and though Flitwick expressed alarm at how bad Ron looked, he let him stay. It was midway through Charms that Ron came aware that, well, he didn't feel good. It wasn't just that he was in pain, but he also felt feverish and exhausted._

 _Truthfully, a nap was sounding like a brilliant idea, except he refused to give Hermione the satisfaction. So after Charms he struggled to his feet and started the long trek to his next class._

 _It was when Ron was struggling to get to Transfiguration that the he started having second thoughts about going to classes that day. And as soon as he entered the classroom and saw McGonagall's face he had third, fourth and fifth thought about the wisdom of going to classes._

 _"Mr. Weasley! I told you to go see Madame Pomfrey! You told me you were going to do so! Why are you here?"_

 _"He hasn't been to see Madame Pomfrey," Hermione smirked, pleased._

 _Ron, feeling betrayed, glared at her, then cringed at the look of pure fury on McGonagall's face._

 _"You are all fifth years and know what you need to be working on," McGonagall announced to the class._

 _"I'm trusting all of you to work quietly without me, because evidently I can't trust one of your classmates to do as he's been told._

 _"Mr. Weasley, I'm escorting you to the hospital wing since you can't be trusted to go on your own."_

 _Ron felt his ears turn red, and he got a quick glimpse of Harry's sympathic look and Hermione's smug face before he left the classroom with McGonagall._

 _On the way to the hospital wing, McGongall had muttered, "You're as bad as your father, and I didn't think that was possible." After that she had lapsed into stony silence, and although Ron longed to ask what precisely his dad had done, one look at her face made him hold his tongue._

Ron snuggled down in bed, his wounds were cleaned and redressed, and he was full of various bad tasting potions. Now that everyone had finally stopped scolding him, and the pain was considerably dulled, Ron was aware of that strange acceptance that always seemed to accompany sick beds.

Although he would never admit it, Ron invaribly longed for his mum in these situations. He was uneasily aware though, that Mum's presence would be of questionable comfort at the moment.

McGonagall's parting shot had been to tersely inform him that HER owls weren't monitored, and she had every intention of writing his parents.

Ron hoped Mum would take pity on him being whipped and not send him a Howler. She would be sure to inform him that once again, he had ignored his own instincts. It was a common theme.

 _It was a brilliant mid-June day, bright and sunny after weeks of rain. Dad was at work, Bill and Charlie were no longer living at home, and Percy and the twins were still at school._

 _It was tradition for Mum to follow the Hogwart's schedule in home-schooling the younger children, but there was only Ron and Ginny, and they had actually finished up the year's lessons early._

 _Mum and Dad were very pleased with them, and 10-year-old Ron, and 9-year-old Ginny were allowed to go by themselves for a hike through the woods. It was not only a reward, but also, the children realized too late, and after they had spectacularly failed, a test._

 _They were to stop at a well-known clearing, and eat their picnic lunches Mum had packed for them. But when they got there, Ron looked longingly at the path that continued on through the woods._

 _It was common knowledge that the path led to an old dam on the brook that ran through the woods. The twins had tried to go on to the dam the summer before, had gotten caught, and had been harshly punished, since the dam was off-limits._

 _The dam couldn't be too much furthur, and Ron seldom had such a golden opportunity to best his older brothers._

 _"Let's go just a bit furthur Ginny," he coaxed. "Mum will never know."_

 _"We're not suppose to. You just want to see that dam," answered his sister, wisely. "You know how much trouble Fred and George got into last year."_

 _"I just want to get a glimpse of it is all," promised Ron. "Look, we won't leave the trail, so we can't get lost, and we'll just go a bit longer. If we don't see it soon, we'll turn around._

 _"Besides, wouldn't it be cool to beat the twins at something?"_

 _Ginny, after considering it a moment, agreed. They walked quite a while, and were on the verge of turning back, when they went around a bend and finally found the dam, and it was beautiful. The woods cleared to reveal a low meadow full of wild flowers, with the brook running through it. The dam itself was in ruins, creating a miniture waterfall._

 _Ginny cried out with delight, "Oh, how lovely!" and immediately began to pick the flowers. They had a splendid picnic by the man-made waterfall, wondering why such a wonderfull place was off limits._

 _It wasn't until they were packing up their picnic remains that the children saw it. At the far side of the meadow, just where the woods restarted, was a ruined house._

 _They slowly approached it, and long before they reached it, Ron felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up. Something bad had happened here, he could feel it._

 _"Should we go in?" asked Ginny._

 _Every nerve in Ron's body was screaming that they should leave, "No! There's something wrong here, can't you feel it?"_

 _Ginny looked puzzled, "Feel what? It's just a burned down house."_

 _"There could be rotten boards," said Ron desperately, anxious to get them both away from the ruins._

 _Ginny laughed at him, "You're afraid!"_

 _"I am not!"_

 _"Are too! You'll never make it into Gryffindor, you'll be in Hufflepuff._

 _"Well, I'm not afraid. I'm going in," taunted his sister. "I'll be sure to tell Fred and George what a coward you are!"_

 _"No you won't, because I'm going in too!"_

 _Side by side, the two walked up to the dilapidated house. They never got in. Some dark force slammed them back, and sent them flying halfway across the meadow._

 _Shocked, and gasping for breath, Ron called for his sister. She was crying, her clothes torn and blackened, but beyond being scared wasn't hurt._

 _Ron checked himself over, and realized his own clothes were in simular disarray._

 _"Mum's going to know!" cried Ginny. "She's going to know we tried to get into that house!"_

 _Ron's heart sunk. They were in trouble, he knew. He also realized it wasn't the dam itself that was off-limits, but the house._

 _"Ronnie?" asked Ginny, "What happened? How did that house do that?"_

 _And as clearly as if he had read it, Ron knew the answer, "It was dark magic. Ginny, something bad happened here during the war. Death eaters must have been here."_

 _Ginny's eyes widened, "Did you know that before?"_

 _"No, or I wouldn't have tried to get in. Or let you try either."_

 _"Now what?" whimpered Ginny._

 _"Now we have to go home and be punished," answered Ron, grimly._

 _And punished they were. They didn't need to confess, Mum knew as soon as she saw them what they had done. She sternly lead them into her bedroom, and both Ron and Ginny knew what that meant._

 _Spankings were not common in the Weasley household, but they're weren't uncommon either. A spanking meant you had been really bad, and they were always administered in Mum and Dad's bedroom, face down across the bed._

 _Ron was all too use to the routine, but Ginny, who was either very good or very good at not being caught, was seldom spanked._

 _Usually Mum or Dad used their hand, but this time Mum got the strap. Ginny gave a squeak of fear, and Ron's heart seemed to squeeze tight._

 _It was well known that Bill, Percy and Ginny (at least until now), had never earned a strapping. Ron knew she was terrified of the strap._

 _Ron's heart broke at how small and scared his sister looked. He knew logically she deserved to be punished just as much as he did, but he didn't give a damn for logic. If a lie would spare Ginny even a tiny bit, he would lie._

 _"Not Ginny!" he burst out, pleading. "Ginny didn't want to go to the dam or anywhere near that house! I talked her into it. It was my fault!"_

 _Mum glared at him, "You were already going to be spanked harder than your sister since you're older, but you'll get it worse now._

 _"But Ginny is still responsible for her own actions and must be punished. You didn't force her to do anything."_

 _But then Mum looked at Ginny, and her eyes softened slightly. Ginny was white as a ghost, trembling, and staring at the strap as if it were a snake._

 _Mum sighed, and set the strap down, "Ginny, you first. Bend over the bed. Ron, you have to watch."_

 _Thankfully, she used her hand to spank Ginny, but it was still a very hard, painful spanking. And although Ron got the strap, and double what his sister got, nothing was as painful as having to watch Ginny spanked and hear her cries._

 _They were sent to bed without their pudding immediately after supper, and told they had a whole list of chores to do the next day._

 _Mum came up to make sure he was in bed, and Ron found himself hugging her and crying, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."_

 _Mum hugged him back, "I'm sorry too. I thought I could trust you, but now I know I can't._

 _"The real shame is I should be able to trust you, because you've got good instincts. But you don't listen to them."_

 _Wiping his eyes, Ron hiccupped, "What's that mean?"_

 _Mum smiled sadly at him, "You were trying to be like the twins, weren't you? Prove you're just as brave as they are?"_

 _Ron hung his head, feeling foolish, "They would have tried to get in. I felt like I was being a coward if I didn't try."_

 _"Oh Ronnie, you should just be yourself. Out of all seven of you, you're the one most like your father."_

 _Ron looked at her in surprise, "I am?"_

 _"You are, and like your father you do better when you follow your heart. Your father is kind, generous, incredibly brave, with wonderful instincts, but he's always better off when he doesn't overthink things."_

 _"Dad's not stupid!" Ron protested._

 _"Of course he's not! But if he overthinks things he gets confused."_

 _Mum hesitated, "It's sort of like when you play chess. What did Grandpa always warn you about when you're playing chess?"_

 _Ron thought about that, and said slowly, "To worry about my own game, and to follow my instincts. He said I lost when I worried too much about my opponent because I overthought and outwitted myself."_

 _Mum cupped his chin, "But when you relax and follow your instincts, you're unbeatable. You've learned that in chess. Now you need to apply that to the rest of your life._

 _"Your instincts were telling you not to go near that house, weren't they?"_

 _Ron nodded._

 _"See? If you had listened to your instincts, you wouldn't be in trouble. The problem is you're always trying to copy your brothers, or impress other people."_

 _"I knew something was wrong about that house. The house, that's what's really off limits, isn't it? Not the dam," said Ron._

 _Mum sighed, "The Bones lived there. They were our closest neighbors and good friends._

 _"They had two little girls who were about the same age as Billy and Charlie, and the boys played with them all the time."_

 _"Bill and Charlie played with girls?"_

 _Mum smiled, "You play with Ginny."_

 _"She's my sister, and there isn't anyone else."_

 _"Well, there wasn't anyone else for your brothers either. In any case, they both really liked the Bones sisters._

 _"Annabelle was the oldest, and lovely. Bill was smitten with her, although he denied it._

 _"Sophie was a bit of a tomboy. She and Charlie used to explore the woods nearby._

 _"We all use to have picnics together by the old dam._

 _"Then one night, you-know-who and his followers came. They murdered the entire family. It was horrible. None of us could bear to go back there._

 _"But a few years ago your father and I decided to visit the dam again. I couldn't feel anything, but your dad said the house reeked of dark magic._

 _"We took Bill, Charlie and Percy there. Bill felt the dark magic, but Charlie and Percy couldn't feel anything."_

 _Mum hesitated, "It was the twins we were mostly worried about, still are. They wouldn't feel anything either. And once they saw that house we wouldn't be able to keep them away."_

 _"They couldn't get in," Ron assured her. "The black magic threw me and Ginny back."_

 _"Do you honestly believe that would deter your brothers? It wouldn't have detered mine. If anything, it would have made them all the more determined to get inside."_

 _Ron thought about that, and realized Mum was right. He both feared and adored his twin brothers. He dreaded their pranks, but was always hoping to prove to them that he was worthy to be included in their play._

 _But the few times they did include him, he was inevitably terrified of how heedless they were._

 _Then Ron thought of something else, "Ginny couldn't feel it either. I mean the dark magic. I thought maybe I was wrong."_

 _"So you allowed her to taunt you into going in."_

 _Ron looked quickly at his mum, "How did you know?"_

 _"Because I know my children. I knew you were lying when you said it was all your idea."_

 _Mum laughed softly, "I adore my daughter, but I know she's no shrinking violet. I honestly wouldn't want her to be._

 _"It was chivalrous of you to take most of the blame. But think about this Ron, why did you take most of the blame?"_

 _"I...she looked so scared! I couldn't take it!" cried Ron._

 _"You wanted to protect her?"_

 _Ron nodded._

 _"Yet you let her try to enter a place that you knew was evil simply because of your pride?" Mum asked._

 _Then she continued, "That's why you got the worse spanking. Ginny didn't know anything was wrong with that house, but you did. You allowed Ginny and yourself to put in danger simply to prove your courage._

 _"What if one or both of you had been badly hurt? How would feel then? Trust me, Ron, a guilty conscious is much more painful then a sore bottom._

 _"You, young man, have to learn to trust your magic and your excellent instincts. And stop worrying what others think about you."_

 **Both Ginny and Ron are affected by a horcrux, but Ginny evidently liked the diary at first, and only gradually got suspicious of it. But the first time Ron handled the locket in DH, he commented that he could feel it. So I'm kind of basing Ron having more of a feeling for dark magic on canon.**

 **I also played around with canon a little here. We know an entire family by the name of Bones was murdered in the first war, although that's all we know about them (unless Rowling gave out more inormation on them later, and I missed it). I just decided to make them friends and neighbors of the Weasleys. Bill was 11 and Charlie 9 when the first war ended. It's possible they had friends who died in the war, so I invented a couple for them.**


	7. Chapter 7

Lions Breed True Chapter 7

He didn't know why, but Ron did know there was absolutely NOTHING fair about his life. For some mysterious reason, fate hated him. He had been convinced that he was so miserable that it couldn't possibly get worse.

Fate, of course, was determined to show him otherwise. Evidently having his whole body ache, having his back feel like it was on fire, having his wrists constantly throbbing with pain, and having his face and ribs feel tender and bruised wasn't enough.

Ron had to have a cough to go along with that. It wasn't just any cough either. It was a rough cough that shook his core and hurt his already sore ribs.

And when had it gotten so cold? Hadn't he been feeling feverish earlier? Now Ron felt like he was frozen to the bone. Ron shivered and pawed at the blankets covering him, trying to pull them closer around him.

He was in the hospital wing after all. Shouldn't they keep it warm in here? Sick people needed to be warm, didn't they?

He wished Hermione were here so she could do one of her warming spells. Maybe Pomfrey could do one? Maybe he would ask her to do one if he could just stop coughing.

Speaking of Pomfrey, she came bustling over to him, "Is that you coughing?"

Well, who else would it be? Ron was currently her only patient. He might have pointed that out, if he could have stopped coughing long enough.

Pomfrey felt his forehead, then waved her wand around him. Evidently she didn't like whatever she found out, because she shook her head, frowning.

Ron felt mildly indignant. It wasn't like he developed a cough just to annoy her. Wasn't it her job to help him? Surely there was a potion or something she could give him. He tried to ask her that, but coughed instead.

"I'll be right back," Pomfrey told him. Ron started to tell her he wasn't going anywhere, but coughed again. He sighed and closed his eyes, he was so tired. Maybe he would just rest a little.

"Mr. Weasley!" Strange, why was somebody yelling for Dad? And at Hogwarts? Wait, he was still at Hogwarts, wasn't he?

"Mr. Weasley, wake up!"

Okay, maybe Ron was at the Burrow. But who would call Dad Mr. Weasley at the Burrow? Hold on a minute, HE was Mr. Weasley. Well, him and all his brothers. Face it, there were just too many Mr. Weasleys.

"Mr. Weasley, will you please wake up!"

Ron woke with a start, and stared at Madame Pomfrey, bewildered. He tried to gather his wits, but was uneasily aware that he was fuzzy and disoriented.

He opened his mouth to ask her what was going on, and immediately found himself gagging when Pomfrey used the opportunity to tip a potion down his throat.

Ron choked the nasty tasting stuff down, then gazed at Pomfrey reproachfully. She might at least have warned him.

"That will make you feel better," she assured him. "Now, try to get some sleep."

He HAD been getting some sleep when she woke him up. Couldn't she make up her mind? Feeling ill-used, Ron buried his face into the pillow. At least his cough seemed to have let up. He was also warmer now. In fact, Ron was getting positively toasty. And being toasty made him think of Egypt, and Bill.

For the last two years Ron automatically associated heat with Egypt, and Egypt with Bill.

 _The worst thing about Egypt was the heat. The best thing about Egypt was Ron finally establishing a true relationship with his much idolized oldest brother._

 _Only a year old when Bill left for Hogwarts, and three when Charlie left, Ron had no memories of either brother living at home full time._

 _In fact, it was an often told family story how 2-year-old Ron had ran and hid the first time Bill came home for the summer._

 _All five of the youngest Weasley children pretty much hero-worshiped the eldest two. Percy was grudgingly acknowledged as the only one who could actually remember both Bill and Charlie before they left for Hogwarts._

 _Ron treasured the few moments when either of his oldest brothers bothered with him. He humbly accepted that out of the five youngest, he must be the most boring and forgettable to the oldest two Weasley boys._

 _Percy was very smart and mature, the twins were well, TWINS, and Ginny had the great fortune of not only being the youngest but being the only girl. How could he compete against all that?_

 _But that summer they spent in Egypt changed things between Ron and Bill. It started with a tomb. It wasn't one of the scarier tombs, so Mum had gone in cheerfully with Ginny, followed by the twins and Percy._

 _Dad had hesitated before slowly following the rest of the family, but Ron had stopped cold. Something about the tomb was making his skin crawl. However, he noticed Bill, eyebrows raised, staring at him. Worried that Bill would think him a childish, Ron had stepped forward._

 _Nothing bad had happened, but Ron was uncomfortable all the while they were inside, and was relieved when they finally exited._

 _Later, when Ron was sitting by himself with parchment and quill trying to owl Harry, Bill had sat beside him and quietly said, "You felt it, didn't you?"_

 _Surprised, Ron jumped, then looked at his brother, "Felt what?"_

" _The traces of dark magic left in the tomb. I did too. We get that from Dad."_

" _Lucky us," said Ron, glumly._

" _Hey it's not that bad. It's probably one of the reasons why I'm good at my job. And I AM good at my job._

" _You would probably be good at it too."_

 _Ron shuddered, "No thanks. I felt like I was covered in spiderwebs the whole time I was in that tomb."_

" _Well, that's not pleasant, but it's not THAT bad," said Bill, placidly._

 _When Ron glared at him, Bill's jaw dropped open, "You mean you're still afraid of spiders? Oh come on, Ron. They're mostly harmless!"_

" _Try having giant spiders almost eat you, then tell me how harmless they are," said Ron, indignantly._

" _There aren't any giant spiders in Britain."_

" _There SHOULDN'T be any giant spiders in Britain," said Ron bitterly, "but thanks to Hagrid, there are."_

 _There was a moment of dead silence, then Bill said evenly, "Okay, you better explain that."_

 _So Ron filled Bill in on everything that happened his second year at Hogwarts. Bill listened attentively, and at the end was staring at Ron with astonishment._

" _I can't believe," said Bill slowly, "That you actually went into the Forbidden Forest._

" _Ron, it's forbidden because it's dangerous! You need to stay out of there!"_

" _It wasn't my idea," protested Ron. "Weren't you listening? Hagrid said 'follow the spiders', so Harry just had to follow the spiders!"_

 _Bill was regarding him with a strange look, "And you just had to follow Harry?"_

" _Well, I couldn't let him go alone," Ron replied, annoyed. What was wrong with Bill? Of course he had to go with Harry, what else could he do?_

" _So tell me," said Bill, after a pause, "what is the famous Harry Potter really like?"_

" _He's just Harry," replied Ron, uncomfortable with the subject. "I mean, most of the time I don't think about him being famous. We just have fun together."_

 _Bill hesitated, "Ron, don't take this wrong, but you didn't become friends with him just because he's famous, did you?"_

" _Of course not!" retorted Ron indignantly. "I actually wish he wasn't famous!"_

" _What's that mean?"_

 _It was Ron's turn to hesitate, "Well, it would just make things easier, and more..." Ron groped for the words he wanted, "...more fair? Or maybe more balanced?_

" _It's not easy being Harry's best mate! I mean, it's not his fault. I know Harry really just wants to be normal, but it's still...hard."_

 _Bill nodded in understanding, "I suppose you get jealous sometimes? It wasn't easy being Charlie Weasley's older brother either."_

 _Ron's jaw dropped, "You couldn't be jealous of Charlie! Besides, I thought you were best mates!"_

 _Bill laughed, "Oh yes I could be jealous of Charlie. He wasn't as famous as your Harry, and he didn't play Quidditch his first year, but he did make the team his second year and was immediately the star._

" _I couldn't even make the team. All I heard was 'You're Charlie's brother? You must be so proud!'_

" _I was proud, but at the same time I wanted to flush him down a toilet."_

" _But you were Head Boy!"_

 _Bill asked wryly, "Be honest, if you had to choose between being Head Boy or captain of the Quidditch team, which would you pick?"_

 _Ron was silent._

 _Bill smiled, "That's what I thought."_

" _You and Charlie always seem like best mates."_

" _We are, but like all best mates we've had our ups and downs. It's getting through those ups and downs, and trying to understand each other that made us best mates._

" _I didn't realize it, or do it intentionally, but I made things hard for Charlie too. He had to follow me, and hear professors say, 'Oh, are you Bill's brother? Are you as brilliant as he is?'_

" _A big step forward for us both came when we both finally understood our problems were our own, and we each had to deal with them on our own and not expect each other to fix them."_

 _Ron was confused, "I don't know what you mean."_

" _Well, I couldn't expect Charlie to deliberately miss the snitch just to make me feel better. Charlie couldn't ask me to fail an exam for his sake._

" _So if you're jealous of Harry, it's your problem. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone gets jealous occasionally. But you need to deal with it, and not make it Harry's problem."_

 _That conversation was the start of a better understanding between the oldest and youngest of the Weasley brothers._

 _It had been enormously reassuring to Ron that even Bill could feel jealousy._

 _Still, Ron had held back his biggest secret; the one that was haunting him more and more. The constant fear that Harry was stealing his family._

 _A large part of Ron knew that was ridiculous, Harry couldn't really take his family away._

 _But a small, persistent voice kept whispering that everyone liked Harry better than him, and would gladly exchange them if it were possible._

 _It started with the twins. When Harry was allowed to play Quidditch his first year, and received a fantastic new broom, Ron couldn't help being envious. But a large part of that envy was that Harry got to be on the team with the twins, and the twins constantly raved about how great Harry was._

 _They had never raved about Ron, or thought he was great._

 _Ginny had been next; all she wanted to hear about was Harry. She had transferred any hero-worship she had for Ron to Harry, and now seemed to hold Ron in the same low regard as the rest of his family did._

 _His parents also acted enamored with Harry. Mum couldn't be bothered to remember that Ron hated maroon and corn-beef, but she had no trouble memorizing everything about Harry._

 _When Harry stayed at the Burrow, Dad was always eager to spend time with him._

 _The better part of Ron was happy that his best mate had been accepted so completely into his family. But there was another small, mean part that wished Harry had never got to know his family so well._

 _For a long time Ron hung onto the thought that Harry didn't know Bill or Charlie. Until, of course, Harry did get to know Bill and Charlie. Harry seemed as awed by Ron's eldest brothers as Ron himself was. Part of Ron was proud of that. After all, Bill and Charlie were RON'S brothers, and not Harry's._

 _But both Bill and Charlie acted as enthralled with Harry as the rest of the family. And Bill and Mum had spent the whole day with Harry before the last task of the Triwizard Tournament._

 _The thought of Harry having to be by himself all day while the other champions were with their families was unbearable. But Ron couldn't help wishing Harry had his own family to be with instead of borrowing his._

 _The only member of his family that didn't worship Harry was Percy._

 _One big secret that Ron never shared with anyone, even Harry, was that Ron and Percy had a secret bond. That bond stretched back to when Ron was only four-years-old, and often times laid dormant, but Ron never doubted the strength of that bond._

 _Until that awful day he stood and watched Percy turn his back on his entire family, including Ron, and walk away._

 **I get extremely frustrated at all the Ron bashers who snark on Ron for getting jealous. Ron would have to be a saint never to be jealous of Harry. Frankly, I think Ron's much more generous and much less jealous than most people would be.**

 **I also think both Harry and Hermione could be a little more sensitive; they both seem to take Ron AND his family for granted. That would have to grate on Ron occasionally, and make him resentful.**

 **Next, the most heart-breaking part of the locket exposing Ron's deepest fears wasn't Hermione rejecting him for Harry, but MOLLY rejecting him for Harry. A mother's unconditional love is the birthright of all children. But Ron evidently doesn't believe it. That fear didn't just spring up out of nowhere.**

 **Please understand, I'm NOT bashing Molly here. I know she loves Ron as much as her other children, but somehow Ron doesn't know that. I'm trying to explore that a tiny bit.**

 **And there will be more about Ron and Percy soon.**

 **Thanks again for reading.**


	8. Chapter 8

Lions Breed True Chapter 8

One of Ron's dorm mates evidently decided to cough up a lung. And instead of politely going to the hospital wing, he (whoever he was) was intent on making certain no one got any sleep. Talk about rude. Ron was determined to give whoever it was a piece of his mind.

Yeah, he would do that, just as soon as he figured out how to open his eyes. For some bizarre reason they had decided to seal themselves shut, and Ron couldn't convince them to open.

"Mr. Weasley!"

Oh no, not this again. Now who was calling for Dad?

"Mr. Weasley, I must insist you wake up!"

Brilliant, go to the Burrow and tell Dad that and stop pestering him. Oh, wait, HE was Mr. Weasley. Why couldn't he remember that?

Ron forced his eyes open, winced, and realized with dismay that the one coughing up a lung was himself.

Feeling sluggish and confused, Ron stared at Madame Pomfrey. Slowly he started piecing things together; he wasn't in his dorm, he was in the hospital wing.

He had been whipped, was in a high fever, and had developed a cough. Why would anyone start coughing because of being whipped? Oh yeah, that's right. Fate HATED him.

Ron whimpered slightly, what had he ever done to fate to deserve this?

"You need some fluids," Madame Pomfrey informed him, sticking a straw into his mouth. Feeling bewildered, Ron automatically sucked up water. Hadn't they already done this before?

He had been hanging on the post, in total agony and she had given him water. Now he was in bed, pillows piled so high he was practically sitting up. The fire in his back was dulled, and he was warm and dry, but he still didn't feel good.

Every part of his body ached, and he was exhausted, even with all the sleeping he had been doing.

It was all too much. Ron sighed, listed to his side and let his eyes drift shut.

"I'm sorry Mr. Weasley, but you can't go to sleep yet. I've some potions for you, and you really should try to eat first.

"I've some toast and juice, please try to eat at least a few bites," coaxed Pomfrey.

Food? Ron squinted at the food tray, and for one of the few times in his life, wasn't hungry.

"I'm not hungry."

"I'm not surprised, but you should try to eat just a few bites anyway, it might make you feel better," urged Pomfrey.

Grumbling, Ron grabbed a piece of toast and tenatively took a bite. He really didn't want a second bite, but forced it down anyway. It was all he could manage.

Pomfrey seemed pleased, "That's good, now try a sip of juice."

The juice went down a little better, at least it moistened his throat.

"Much better, at least you got a tiny bit of food in you. Now I've some potions for you," said Pomfrey.

She had no sooner stopped speaking than Ron felt his stomach churn, and mouth suddenly water. Oh no, he thought, then he was leaning over the bed spewing.

Luckily there wasn't much for him to throw up, but he still had the dry heaves after the toast and juice came back up.

"Sorry," Ron gasped, embarrassed.

Madame Pomfrey cleaned away the sick with a flick of her wand, "I honestly expected you to vomit. But I hoped you might be able to keep something down.

"Now, take this potion, you very much need it."

Ron obediently swallowed the potion while processing that she had expected him to throw up. He fumed with justifiable anger. Why had Pomfrey encouraged him to eat if she knew it would come back up?

He was about ready to tell her how he felt about that when he fell asleep instead.

The next time Ron woke up was a little better. At least he knew he was in the hospital wing, and he was the one trying to hack up a lung. He was also aware that all the fluids he had downed had their natural effect and he had to pee.

Ron had been in the hospital wing enough times to know where the bathroom was. It wasn't that far, but some how the trip down the hallway seemed daunting. He tried to mentally encourage himself, come on, you're a Gryffindor. Getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom shouldn't defeat you.

His body stubbornly stayed in bed. Ron was still trying to convince himself that getting out of bed was preferable to wetting the bed when he fell asleep again.

Ron woke with a sudden start, convinced he HAD wet the bed; he was soaked. Frantically pawing at himself, filled with shame, it took a few minutes to register that his bladder was still full, and that all of him, even his head, was dripping with sweat.

Panting, Ron tried to figure out what was wrong with him. How could he be soaked through with sweat, and still freezing at the same time? And where had all his strength gone?

Granted, he had never been one of the muscle guys like that braggart Cormac was, but he had always been fit. So did he feel so weak? All Ron wanted to do was cozy down in his bed and sleep; unfortunately his bladder insisted it needed emptied.

Ron groaned, come on, you can hold it! Don't make me get up.

There was no help for it, his bladder was so full that he was more than a little uncomfortable; at least one part of him was stiff. Ron had to get to the bathroom.

Gritting his teeth in determation, he swung his feet over the side of the bed, and used his arms to push himself upright on wobbly legs.

The room abruptly tilted on its side, Ron's legs decided they couldn't hold him up, and Ron felt himself sliding down to the floor. He grabbed wildly at the bedcovers and pillows, trying to save himself, to no avail.

Ron landed with a thud on his bum, blankets and pillows cascading softly around him. He sat on the floor in a daze, waiting for the room to stop spinning. Bloody hell, maybe he should just have wet the bed after all.

Ron was fairly certain that climbing back into bed was beyond him. There wasn't much point in it anyway, since about everything but the matress was on the floor with him. He might as well kip down here for awhile.

"Mr. Weasley!" Oh, now she comes. Where was she when he needed help getting out of bed?

Pomfrey used her wand to remake the bed, muttering under her breath about 'right nuisances' and 'bothersome brats'. Ron pretended not to hear her.

"Now, let's get you back into bed. Why were you on the floor in the first place?" Pomfrey wanted to know. About time she asked.

"Bathroom."

"Is that all? Well, that's quickly taken care of," said Pomfrey. Using her wand some more, she set Ron back on the bed, and the next moment an object came zipping towards them. Pomfrey caught it, and Ron stared at it in disgust. He had spent one hellish evening cleaning those objects courtesy of Snape.

"I'm not using a bedpan," said Ron, flatly.

Pomfrey smiled grimly, "Oh yes you are."

Ron turned mulish, "No!"

"Mr. Weasley, first, you are far too weak to walk to the bathroom. Second, I'm a highly trained healer. I'm well acquainted with the male anatomy in general, and to your anatomy in particular, since you make it a habit to stay in the hospital wing."

Well, THAT made everything a whole lot better. Could he be any more embarrassed?

Madame Pomfrey sighed, "Let's just get on with it, shall we? Or would you rather wet yourself? Then I'd have to clean you up anyway." Well, alright, since she put it like that.

So they got on with it, and it was a relief, in more ways than one, when the whole ordeal was over with. Ron wished he could believe that Malfoy would have to clean that bedpan in detention, but he wasn't optimistic.

Pomfrey helped him settle back into bed, "I'm going to get a bite of supper now. Do you need anything first? Would you like to try to eat again?"

Ron glared at her.

"Fine. I'll be back soon. Try to get some rest."

More rest? Ron had already spent the whole day sleeping. Ron watched Pomfrey leave, and a moment later the hospital wing door opened and closed by itself. Ron stared bemused at it for a moment, then grinned slightly, "Harry."

Both Harry and Hermione suddenly appeared out from underneath the invisibility cloak.

"Ron! We've tried to visit you all day, but kept getting told you were too sick. What's going on?" demanded Harry.

For answer Ron coughed. Then coughed some more. Hermione quickly gave him some water, which Ron gratefully sipped.

"Ron, that cough sounds bad," observed Hermione gravely.

"Yeah," Ron panted. "I get whipped, and start coughing. Go figure."

Hermione gently brushed his fringe out of his eyes. Her hand felt soft, cool and dry. Ron closed his eyes, wishing she would keep her hand on his forehead. She didn't.

"You're burning up with fever," worried Hermione. "What's wrong with you? Did Pomfrey say?"

"No. She just urges me to eat when she knows I'll throw up," replied Ron bitterly.

Harry and Hermione exchanged looks.

"You can't eat?" asked Harry.

"Oi!" exclaimed Ron, "I can get sick at my stomach like everyone else!"

"I'm not sure if you should go to St. Mungos or the undertakers," observed Harry.

Hermione elbowed him, "Harry, be nice, Ron's sick."

"Yeah Harry, be nice. I'm sick."

"I am nice! I'm just saying, if you can't eat, it's serious," protested Harry.

"Harry, you're my best mate and all, but your bedside manner sucks."

"Yeah Harry," agreed Hermione, "you're suppose to try to cheer sick people up. Not suggest they're dying."

"I'm not trying to say Ron's dying!"

"Sure sounded like it," said Ron surlily. "I mean, talking about undertakers."

"That was meant as a joke," Harry explained. "And that cough does sound bad."

"I think I just have a bad cold or something, I'll be alright soon," said Ron.

Neither Harry nor Hermione looked convinced.

"That sounds worse than a bad cold," muttered Harry.

Hermione nodded, "I think you might have pneumonia."

I don't have pneumonia," insisted Ron. "Old people get pneumonia. I'm not old."

"Don't be ridiculous!" snapped Hermione. "Anyone can get pneumonia. It simply means your lungs are full of pus.

"You cough a lot with pneumonia and usually run a high fever. You have all the symptoms."

Ron glared at her, "When did you become a healer?"

You don't have to be a doctor to know the symptoms of pneumonia! I read a lot!" exclaimed Hermione, defensively.

"Come on you two, please don't start fighting," pleaded Harry. "Anyway, we should probably leave. Pomfrey will be back soon."

Ron suddenly felt exhausted, "Yeah, you're right. I just want to sleep anyway."

Hermione brushed his hair out of his eyes again, and kissed him lightly on the forehead, "I'm sorry Ron. I don't mean to tease you when you feel so rough. Get some sleep."

Ron fell asleep before he could tell her it was alright.

 **It has come to my attention that evidently I've broken the rules when posting this story. I apologize, I never intended to do that. Now I have to decide what to do about it. I'm giving myself this week to consider it, but I'll probably take this story down and discontinue it. If that's what I decide, I apologize in advance to my readers for not finishing this story. I appreciate anyone reading it.**


	9. Chapter 9

Lions Breed True Chapter 9

 **Sorry for all the drama and trauma of that author's note, but I got a nasty PM threatening to take down my entire account, and it startled me. I've calmed down, and seriously, I'm not even so mad as annoyed. I don't think this troll can take down my account, and if he can, so what? It's not like he can take me out and shoot me at sunrise.**

 **But I've decided just to ignore him and go on posting. This is a chapter I've been both looking forward to and dreading. It's finally Ron and Percy's bonding. But beware, in most of the chapter Ron is four, and at four Ron is simply too adorable for words. So watch out for the fluff.**

 **Finally, this chapter is dedicated to Phoenixx Rising, I think you'll like Percy here.**

That stupid key was just bloody annoying. Ron recognized it immediately, of course. It was one of the winged keys that he, Harry and Hermione had encountered in first year.

Harry wouldn't need a broom to catch this key. It kept hovering right in front of Ron's face, just daring him to reach out and catch it. But every time Ron tried, it slipped away.

What was it doing here? And why did it keep teasing him? Usually Ron would just grab at it with his hand while still lying down (if propped up on a small mound of pillows could be called lying down), but occasionally he would get so aggravated he would sit all the way up and and wildly try to snatch it out of the air.

Ron tried not to do that though because every time he did he saw the dragon. It was squatting in a corner, red eyes glaring at him.

It never moved, even to breathe fire, but it still unnerved Ron. He didn't know why it was here, but he wished someone would take it away. Dragons were scary. Not only did they breath fire, but they bit you.

But the only person Ron saw was that strange old woman who every once in a while would come and stand at the foot of his bed. He didn't like her either. She would stare at him, and then would poke at him with a cane. He wanted her to stop.

In the background, Ron was aware of a constant murmur of voices. They would rise and fall, but Ron could only occasionally catch a distinct word. Then, unexpectantly, three words were clear: 'high fever' and 'delirious'. Ron knew what was going on then, and he was hurled back to being four years old.

 _Everything was different in ways that a four-year-old knew were different, but didn't understand the reason why. It had something to do with Ginny being so sick, but someone being sick had never made EVERYTHING different._

 _Usually if someone was sick, things were just a little different in predictable ways. It had started out that way; Ginny was put into Mummy and Daddy's bed, so Mummy could sleep with her and keep an eye on her while Daddy slept in Ginny's bed._

 _Ronnie was prepared for all that. But he wasn't prepared for waking up on his own. Mummy was suppose to wake him up. Mummy was also suppose to have the clothes he had to wear sitting out for him._

 _However, this morning Ronnie had woken up and he knew, some how, it was real late, and there were no clothes waiting for him to put on. Had Mummy forgotten him?_

 _Ronnie ran downstairs in his pajamas wanting his breakfast, but there was no food on the table, and he didn't see Mummy. Ronnie felt betrayed and upset; he wanted things to be they way they were SUPPOSE to be._

 _He wanted his clothes so he could get dressed. He wanted his breakfast. He wanted Mummy! So he went looking for her. But when he poked his head into Mummy and Daddy's bedroom, it was scary._

 _Mummy, Daddy and Ginny were there, but Daddy was hugging Mummy who was crying. Mummy wasn't suppose to cry. It frightened Ronnie to see her crying._

 _"Mummy!" he yelled, running to her. To his shock, Mummy whirled around and slapped him across the face. No one had ever slapped Ronnie's face before. Ronnie rubbed his cheek, and stared at Mummy, bottom lip trembling._

 _Mummy stared back at him a moment before crying and falling to her knees. She pulled him up into a hug, "Oh Ronnie! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hit you. I'm just so worried right now. I'm a bad Mummy."_

 _Ronnie wiggled slightly in her embrace, confused and scared. Mummy wasn't bad. He patted Mummy's shoulder the way he saw Daddy sometimes pat her, "It's alright Mummy. I'm not hurt."_

 _Mummy pulled away from him slightly and tried to smile, "Ronnie, I'm sorry. You're a good boy, but I have to take care of your sister right now._

 _"I can't...I just can't...' she floundered, looking up at Daddy._

 _Daddy bent down and scooped Ronnie up in his arms, "Molly, take care of Ginny. I've got Ronnie. I'll take care of everything."_

 _Daddy carried Ronnie into the kitchen and sat down with Ronnie in his lap._

 _"Ronnie, your mummy didn't mean to hurt you, you know that don't you?"_

 _"I'm alright," Ronnie said. His face did hurt, but Daddy looked so sad, he didn't want to say that._

 _Daddy gave him a small smile, "I'm glad. Now, I've something serious to talk to you about. Mummy and I need you to be a big boy for us, can you do that?"_

 _Ronnie wasn't real sure what Daddy meant, but he nodded yes anyway._

 _Daddy rubbed Ronnie's sore cheek lightly, "You see, right now Mummy and I have to take care of your sister because Ginny is very sick. She has a high fever and is delirious."_

 _"What's delirious?" asked the child._

 _"It means she sees things that aren't there," explained Daddy._

 _Ronnie's eyes widened. His Ginny saw things that weren't there?_

 _"We have to take Ginny to St. Mungos. Mummy will be staying there with her. I'll be here some, and Uncle Bilius is coming to stay as well._

 _"But we need all of you children to pitch in and help. You want to help, don't you?"_

 _Ronnie nodded solemnly, of course he wanted to help Ginny get well. He didn't like her being sick. He didn't like Mummy crying and Daddy looking so sad._

 _"What do I do?"_

 _"You're going to have try to take of yourself. Your brothers and Uncle Bilius will help some, but do what you can on your own._

 _"And don't cause trouble for Uncle Bilius. Don't fight with your brothers. Just eat whatever food Uncle Bilius makes, it will probably be mostly sandwiches._

 _"We're counting on you Ronnie, can you do all that?"_

 _Ronnie nodded again._

 _Daddy looked relieved, "That's a big boy. I have to go now."_

 _Daddy gave Ronnie a kiss on the forehead, and lightly set him down before heading back to his bedroom._

 _Ronnie watched him go, then anxiously looked at his hand. He knew how to count. He was four fingers. On his next birthday he would be a whole hand, and THAT was a big boy. How was he suppose to be a big boy before then?_

 _The twins were in the living room, and Ronnie brightened. The twins were a whole hand plus a finger. They were big boys. They could tell him what to do._

 _But when he went to them and earnestly told them, "Daddy wants me to be a big boy. Can you teach me?" they laughed at him._

 _"You? A big boy? You're still a baby! You can't even dress yourself!"_

 _Ronnie retreated from them, feeling angry and hurt, "I'm not a baby!"_

 _"Then why are you still in your pajama's, baby?"_

 _"Stop it!" Percy yelled. He glared at the twins, "You two should be ashamed of yourselves! Do you realize that Ginny might die?_

 _"We all need to pull together right now. At least Ronnie wants to help, and he's only four. You two are six, and you're not doing anything to help."_

 _Percy held his hand out to Ronnie, "Come on Ronnie, I'll teach you how to be a big boy. Let's go get you dressed."_

 _Ronnie happily went with Percy. Percy was a whole hand and three fingers. He could teach Ronnie how to be a big boy._

 _They went up to Ronnie's bedroom and Ronnie explained, "I DO dress myself, but Mummy picks out my clothes."_

 _Percy nodded, "I know, she use to pick out my clothes too. But it's not hard to pick out your own clothes. I'll show you._

 _"First, pick out a pair of trousers you want to wear."_

 _Ronnie gaped at Percy, "I can pick any trousers I want to wear?"_

 _"Of course. Well, not short ones, it's too cold for short ones."_

 _"I know that," said Ronnie, before picking out his favorite pair of jeans. He looked hesitantly at Percy, wondering if his choice was alright._

 _"That's good," encouraged Percy. "Now, what shirt would Mum have you wear with those?"_

 _Ronnie thought a minute, then pulled out two shirts, "Sometimes this one, and sometimes this other one."_

 _"Which one do you like the best?" asked Percy._

 _Ronnie smiled, he was already seeing a big advantage to being a big boy. As a little boy he had to wear what Mummy said, 'cause if he didn't she made him sorry. It hurt when Mummy made him sorry._

 _"I like this one the best," he said happily._

 _"Then wear that one," Percy told him._

 _"I like being a big boy if I can wear what I want to!"_

 _"You still have to wear a jumper because it's cold," Percy cautioned him._

 _Ronnie sighed. That meant his Christmas jumper that was that strange dark red that the twins said was an old ladies color. Still, as least he was wearing his favorite jeans and shirt._

 _Ronnie got dressed, and managed to get his shoes on the proper feet (sometimes he had trouble with that), but then his shoes had to be tied._

 _He looked at Percy imploringly, "I can't tie my shoes."_

 _"It's not hard, I'll teach you," replied Percy._

 _It took a while, but Percy patiently taught Ronnie how to tie his shoes. Ronnie was so excited he wanted to show Mummy, but when he ran down the stairs to find her she was gone. Mummy was at St. Mungos with Ginny._

 _That reminded Ronnie of something Percy said, and he looked anxiously at his big brother who had followed him downstairs, "Percy, is Ginny really going to die?"_

 _Percy looked sad, "I don't know Ronnie. She's very sick._

 _"See her hand?" Percy asked, gesturing toward the family clock._

 _"Her hand's on 'mortal peril'."_

 _Ronnie wrinkled his brow, "What's 'mortal peril' mean?"_

 _Percy sighed, "It means she's in danger of dying. Her hand being there is why Mum and Dad are so worried."_

 _Ronnie stared at the clock, "How will we know if she's better?"_

 _"If her hand goes here," Percy showed him. "That saids hospital. That will mean she's better."_

 _Ronnie thought about Ginny being dead. He knew what that meant. Grandpa Prewitt was dead, and they put him in a box then put him in a hole in the ground. He was buried next to Ronnie's two dead uncles who were also buried in boxes._

 _Ronnie didn't want Ginny stuck in a box and buried in the ground. If being a big boy would some how keep Ginny from being dead, Ronnie would be a big boy._

 _"What else do I need to do to be a big boy?" he asked Percy._

 _Percy hesitated, "You're going to need to keep yourself amused."_

 _"What's that mean?"_

 _"You're not going to have Ginny to play with, so you'll have to play by yourself._

 _"I'll play with you some, and I'll try to get the twins to include you, but you'll have to be by yourself a lot."_

 _This sounded a lot harder than dressing himself. Ronnie was use to playing with Ginny._

 _"I tell you what," Percy said. "I'll play a little with you every day. For starters, how would you like to fly a broom? I mean a real broom, not a toy?"_

 _Ronnie's eyes opened wide at this promised treat, "I'm not allowed."_

 _"It will be okay," Percy assured him. "Mum and Dad won't mind. They let Bill do this with me when I was around your age."_

 _Percy took Ronnie out to the shed and got a broom, and had Ronnie get on it. Then Percy held Ronnie around the waist with one arm, and held the broom with his other hand._

 _The broom only hovered waist high to Percy, but it still seemed a long way to the ground to Ronnie. They slowly walked around the Burrow this way, and Ronnie felt very grown up being on a big broom. Even the twins weren't allowed on big brooms yet. Ronnie pretended he was Charlie, 'cause Charlie was the best on a broom. Everyone knew that._

 _After that Uncle Bilius had lunch ready for them, and thank Merlin the sandwiches weren't corn beef, because Ronnie was very hungry, having missed his breakfast._

 _The afternoon was very long and boring, with no Ginny to play with. Ronnie kept checking the clock, hoping her hand would move to 'hospital', but it stayed on 'mortal peril'. Dumb clock._

 _He tried to amuse himself like Percy said, but it was very hard. Finally Percy suggested to him, "Pretend Ginny's here, and playing with you. What would you do?"_

 _So Ronnie pretended Ginny and him were playing. It wasn't the same as really playing with Ginny, but in some ways it was better. Ronnie could make pretend Ginny do whatever he wanted. Real Ginny wouldn't do that._

 _Finally it was supper time, and Uncle Bilius made sandwiches again. Ronnie was already missing Mummy's cooking. On the other hand, Uncle Bilius was fun. He told them stories about things he and Daddy did when they were little. Ronnie wondered if Daddy and Uncle Bilius ever sat down when they were children, because if he and his brothers did those things they wouldn't be able to sit. Mummy would make sure they were VERY sorry._

 _Percy helped Ronnie get ready for bed, and then even read him a story from 'Tales from the Beedle the Bard'._

 _Ronnie impulsively threw his arms around Percy's neck and said earnestly, "Thank you for teaching me to be a big boy. You're my favoritest brother!"_

 _Percy hugged him back, "I'm your favorite, huh?"_

 _Ronnie nodded._

 _"Well, you're my favorite too."_

 _Ronnie was pleased, he had never been anyone's favorite before, "Really?"_

 _Percy nodded, "Really. We're the odd ones, you know. Bill and Charlie are real close, and of course Fred and George have each other._

 _"I know you and Ginny play together a lot, but she's a girl and spends a lot of time with Mum._

 _"So that leaves you and me to be each others special brother."_

 _Ronnie thought about that. He often wished he had a special brother like Bill and Charlie, and Fred and George. He never thought Percy would want HIM for a special brother though._

 _"So we'll be each others special brother?" Ronnie asked, excited._

 _"Yeah, but let's keep it a secret, that will make it more special," suggested Percy._

 _Then Percy smiled, "If I'm your favorite brother, who's your favorite sister?"_

 _At four, Ronnie didn't get the joke at first. He answered innocently, "Ginny."_

 _Percy acted surprised, "Really? She's my favorite sister too! I wonder who Fred's favorite sister is?"_

 _Ronnie was starting to grin, having caught on to the joke, "Ginny."_

 _"No! Ginny can't be everyone's favorite sister! I'm sure George has a different favorite sister!"_

 _Ronnie was giggling by now, "Un uh. It's Ginny!"_

 _They went through Bill and Charlie's favorite sister as well, with Ronnie laughing harder and harder._

 _And that was the start of what they called their 'silliness'._

 _Percy would come up with simple puns and jokes (Percy was only eight, and Ronnie only four) every day._

 _It helped brighten the somber, dreary days as Ginny's hand stayed stubbornly on 'mortal peril'._

 _They didn't see Mummy at all during those days, and Daddy only came home occasionally. He always looked tired and sad._

 _They fell into a dull routine. Percy was as good as his word, and played some with Ronnie every morning. The twins even played with him some. The rest of the time Ronnie played with pretend Ginny, wondering if he would ever play with real Ginny again._

 _On the fifth day when Ronnie went downstairs for breakfast (Uncle Bilius was good at making breakfast) everyone was happy and smiling._

 _Percy said, "Look at the clock Ronnie!" And sure enough, Ginny's hand was finally on 'hospital'!_

 _Daddy came home later that morning, looking tired but happy, and told them Mummy and Ginny would be home the next day._

 _The next day everyone was up and waiting impatiently for Mummy and Ginny to come home, but it was very late in the morning before they finally did. They both looked very tired._

 _When everyone ran up to greet them, Mummy got cross, "Not now! I'm exhausted, and Ginny's still very weak."_

 _Ginny had to rest a lot, and couldn't play much when she first came home, so Ronnie still played with pretend Ginny. But at least Uncle Bilius went home and Mummy was cooking again._

 _Mummy spent a lot of time rocking Ginny in her lap, and Ronnie would occasionally sit and watch them. It made him a little sad that he was no longer a little boy and couldn't be rocked himself, but he knew big boys didn't get rocked._

 _A few days after Mummy and Ginny came home Ronnie had just finished dressing himself when Mummy came in his room to tell him to get up._

 _She stared at him in surprise, "You're dressed."_

 _Ronnie hoped she wouldn't be mad he choose his own clothes, "Daddy told me to be a big boy. Big boys pick out their own clothes."_

 _Mummy was knotting her apron in her hands, looking at his shoes, "You can tie your own shoes?"_

 _Ronnie peered down at his shoes. He remembered how happy he was when he first learned to tie them and how he had wanted to show Mummy. It didn't seem so exciting now._

 _Percy teached me," he told Mummy._

 _"Percy taught me," corrected Mummy._

 _"Percy taught me," obediently parroted Ronnie, wondering why Mummy didn't look happy. Wasn't him being a big boy a good thing?_

 _That night Mummy read him a bedtime story, and while it was nice, Ronnie missed Percy. But not long after Mummy left, Ronnie heard a scratch on his door._

 _Percy came in, and asked, "How do you get through a wall?"_

 _Ronnie shook his head, "I don't know."_

 _"Well, I use a door."_

 _Their 'silliness' continued, and they even eventually started saying their terrible jokes in front of others. Most of the time people would roll their eyes and groan, but that was alright. The joke wasn't meant for them anyway. It was meant for their special brother._

 _The last time Ron told one of his terrible jokes was a few days after he got home from a disastrous fourth year at Hogwarts. Percy was having a hard time of it, since he hadn't realized_ s _omething strange was going on with Crouch_.

 _Ron felt bad for him, but didn't know what to say or do to help. As luck would have it, Ron had misplaced a letter he had written Hermione, and was tearing around the Burrow looking for it._

 _Ginny asked him later if he ever found his letter, and his eye on Percy, Ron had answered, "Yeah, it was the last place I looked for it."_

 _Ginny and the twins all rolled their eyes, and muttered, "Lame!"_

 _But Percy's head jerked up and he grinned at Ron. And a week later, Percy turned his back on his family and left._


	10. Chapter 10

Lions Breed True Chapter 10

 **Okay, I don't usually go for rants, but be advised that I'm about to rant. Skip this if you like, but if you believe Ron and Hermione belong together, you might want to read on.**

 **I have a Bs. in English. I've spent years studying everything about the English language. I know my English literature. English literature is all literature written in the English language. British literature is English literature that comes from Great Britian.**

 **Almost all classical British literature is based on alchemy. You can read and enjoy classical British literature without understanding alchemy, but you'll only skim the surface. If you want to dive deeper and truly understand classical British literature, YOU MUST UNDERSTAND ALCHEMY. (Actually, I believe to understand most classical European literature, you must understand alchemy, but I'm not an expert in any literature not written in the English language.)**

 **Rowling based the Harry Potter books on classical British literature. The true title of the first book tells you that. The Philosopher's Stone is central to alchemy.**

 **Rowling knew she needed a hero that had to go through the seven steps of alchemy purification, and she knew she needed a Red King and a White Queen.**

 **The point I am making is this; the general public seems to believe that Rowling created these characters, then had to decide what to do with them. Most people seem to believe Rowling had to figure out who Hermione would be with. Most people have it completely backwards.**

 **Rowling had to create the characters to fit the roles, and she already knew (at least broadly) what was going to happen to them. With the Red King, he must be hot tempered and emotional, and the Red King and the hero can't be the same person.**

 **But the Red King can have black, blonde, brown, or even blue hair. He can be rich or poor, or in-between. He can be moody, cheerful, a scholar or a prankster. Rowling had AGES before the first book was published to decide what the Red King was going to be like.**

 **If Rowling wanted the Red King to be like Harry, Fred, Draco, Neville, or any of the others that people want to insist Hermione should be with, she would have made the Red King to be more like whoever. But she didn't. She made the Red King be Ron.**

 **ROWLING CREATED RON AND HERMIONE TO BE TOGETHER. Even if the two actors who played these characters (along with the general population) don't know that, English scholars and Rowling know that. I really wish Rowling would speak up and tell people that. End of rant.**

Ron felt as if he had been walking these halls forever. He wasn't even real sure where he was. He had thought at first he was at Hogwarts, but nothing looked familiar. There seemed to be a grey mist that hung in the halls, and Ron was certain that even the dungeons weren't foggy.

But he didn't have time to wonder about a strange fog inside a building, or to even worry about where he was. Ron needed to be somewhere. Ron wasn't clear on where he needed to be, but some how he knew he was late.

He stumbled down endless, misty halls, trying to find where he was suppose to be. A faint glow finally appeared and Ron knew, without knowing how he knew, that the light was where he was headed.

Confident and pleased that he had finally reached his destination, Ron strode through the thinning mist toward the light. It felt warm, some how, and Ron could hear laughter and gentle voices calling him.

Ron finally got to the light, and the misty halls disappeared, and he found himself in a large meadow. It was filled with people smiling in welcome at him. All of his grandparents were there, with Grandpa and Grandma Weasley front and center, along side Uncle Bilius.

But Grandpa and Grandma Prewitt were there as well, looking more welcoming then Ron could ever remember them looking at him in life. Usually they had cooed over the twins and Ginny, and Ron might as well been wearing Harry's invisiblity cloak for all the attention they paid him.

Next to Grandpa and Grandma Prewitt were a pair of twins, and Ron thought everyone was right; Fabian and Gideon looked remarkably like Fred and George. Or rather, Fred and George resembled their dead uncles.

There were scores of others there as well, and while Ron couldn't exactly identify them, he knew he was related to them. Except for one couple, standing by themselves to one side. The woman MIGHT have been either a Weasley or a Prewitt, with her bright red hair, but Ron knew she wasn't. The man had achingly familiar messy dark hair.

He wanted to tell Lily and James how much their son still loved and mourned them, but realized they already knew. Ron tried to step forward into the meadow, but something was holding him back.

Loud and clear, he heard a voice ask, "What do you call a one-legged woman? Ilene."

"Oh Percy," Ron moaned, "that one's terrible even by our low standards."

There was a babble of other voices calling him, and though they were all mixed up, Ron knew it was his parents and siblings calling for him. Harry's voice sounded clear as a bell, "Come back, mate!"

"Ronald Bilius Weasley! Don't you dare!" Ron would recognize the voice of that bushy-haired know-it-all anywhere, and there was no way he could disobey. He felt himself falling away from the bright meadow, and woke up.

"Ronnie! Thank Merlin!"

Ron looked up into his mother's face, "Mum?"

What was she doing here? Wait, where was here? Ron fell back asleep before he could ask.

The next time Ron woke up, it was Dad. Ron stared at him bewildered for a moment, before croaking, "What are you doing here?"

"I think you need some water son," observed Dad, sticking a straw into his mouth. Ron once more gratefully sucked up water.

"I'm at Hogwarts," said Ron, looking around, "so why are you here?"

"When one of our children's hands points to 'mortal peril', do you really think we would stay away?" questioned his father.

"You almost were sent to St. Mungos, and I still think you should have been," continued his father. His voice shook slightly, "We almost lost you."

In shock, Ron slowly absorbed this, while remembering a bright meadow. He decided he wasn't ready to talk about it.

"I'm surprised Umbridge let you in," he said instead.

Dad smiled grimly, "She didn't want to. Your mum gave her a sharp lesson about coming between a worried mother and her sick child.

"Speaking of Umbridge, how's your back?"

"It hurts," Ron admitted, ruefully.

Dad smiled briefly, "I remember."

Then his face crumbled, "Oh Ronnie, what have things come to that my child has to be whipped to protect me? What kind of father am I?"

"A good one," answered Ron immediately. "And it wasn't just you. I mean, it was Mum and Bill and..."

His father, shaking his head, interrupted him, "I know. You were protecting everyone. And everyone's grateful."

"They know?"

Dad looked at him funny, "You know the grapevine of the wizarding world. Of course everyone knows."

Ron, born and raised a pure blood, DID know. It was one of the many things he found hard to explain to Harry and Hermione, not that they ever wanted to listen to him anyway.

The thought that all of the wizarding world was aware of him being whipped made Ron grimace. Bad enough that all the school watched, the idea of the Malfoys and Goyles being gleeful about it made him writhe in embarrassment.

His father seemed oblivious to his humilation, "The good thing about it is I doubt Umbridge will try to get away with whipping anyone else."

"What? Really? Why?" asked a surprised Ron.

"Do you have to ask? No one's happy about the idea of the whip coming back and having it used on their own children. Augusta Longbottom threatened to hex everyone on the Board of Governors if her grandson was whipped.

"A lot of parents are threatening to take their children out of Hogwarts. Even some of the Slytherins said the whip should be banished."

"Thank Merlin," Ron breathed. The haunting fear of seeing Harry, Hermione or Ginny shackled to the whipping post eased a bit for him.

"Fudge has proposed a bill that makes whippings illegal at Hogwarts, and it's getting wide-spread support," Dad told him. "And everyone in the Order passed a resolution of gratitude to you. Of course, that has to be kept secret."

"Um, thanks?" stammered Ron.

"Your brothers are really upset," said Dad, and Ron felt a momentary leap of his heart, then realized his mistake. Dad didn't mean Percy.

"I have a lot of brothers, which ones?" Ron asked dryly.

"All of them, but I was referring to the twins. Sirius, Remus and Mad-Eye had to almost handcuff them to keep them from coming back here and taking revenge on Umbridge."

Typical twins. Smite the wrongdoer before comforting the victim. But then, Ron thought, maybe it was a Weasley trait. He could remember various times where he was more eager to punch Malfoy than to succor Hermione.

"Expect some big apologies, Fred and George feel horribly guilty."

"They shouldn't," Ron protested. "It was MY decision to help cause a diversion. I'm just glad they got away, or else they would have been whipped too."

Dad sighed, "Yeah, the twins explained why a diversion was needed. It's hard to believe your owls are being monitored."

"Believe it," said Ron glumly. "Umbridge has turned the school into a prison."

"And your mother and I are helpless to protect you. We're reluctant to take you and Ginny out of school."

"No!" exclaimed an alarmed Ron. "We, or at least I, have to stay. Harry needs me."

"Don't tell your mum that. You had better talk about wanting a good education instead."

Ron grinned, "Yeah, because I'm just so scholarly."

"Your grades aren't bad," protested Dad. "Of course, you have the good fortune of following the twins. Your mother is definitely unhappy with the pair of them."

Ron frowned, "Where is Mum? Didn't I see her earlier?"

"You did," said Dad, in a carefully even voice. "She's taking a nap. It was a rough night."

Ron looked at him quickly, "How rough?"

"Ron, I meant it when I said you almost died. Poppy thinks it was the two hours on the post after the whipping that weakened you so badly," Dad's voice shook, and he was obviously losing his temper.

"After I was whipped, I was immediately given medical treatment. I wasn't whipped in front of the entire school and left hanging there in the cold!

"My wounds weren't left untreated, and I spent the night in the hospital wing, not the dorm!"

To Ron's alarm, his father's voice had risen and gotten harsher during this speech.

"Dad! It's. . . calm down. It's alright."

"Alright? What's alright about it? What could possibly be alright about any of this?"

Ron eyed his father with concern, as he got steadily shriller. Usually it was Mum who flew off the handle, while Dad stayed calm. The only time Ron could remember Dad getting this upset was when the twins tried to make an unbreakable vow with him.

"Mr Weasley!" Ron automatically looked to Madame Pomfrey, and wouldn't you know it, this time she actually was addressing his father.

"You need to calm down, Mr. Weasley. It's not good for your son to get excited right now. In any case, he needs his rest. You could use a good nap as well," said Pomfrey, sternly.

"I'm alright," protested Dad.

"No, you're not. Both of you are exhausted. You both need to sleep."

"I want to sit with my son."

"He'll be sleeping, and I'm more than capable of keeping an eye on him. It would be better for you to join your wife and rest," Pomfrey said firmly.

"Go on, Dad," Ron urged. "I am tired. I mostly want to sleep anyway."

Ron could see his dad wavering, "If you're sure."

"I am. Go."

"Alright. Your mother and I have a guest room here. We'll be back," Dad stroked Ron's hair briefly. "I'm so relieved you're better son."

Finally he left, and Ron was alone with Pomfrey.

"I have some potions for you, but first, do you think you could eat a bit of soup?"

"Maybe," replied Ron doubtfully. He did feel awful empty. But he was afraid of throwing up again.

Pomfrey produced some thin soup, and Ron discovered he was a little hungrier than he thought. True, he couldn't eat much, but his stomach seemed to accept what he did eat. Pomfrey was satisfied at any rate. Then she once more gave him some potions, and Ron dropped off to sleep again.

Ron felt his big rough hand being held by two soft dainty ones. He frowned, why would Lavender be holding his hand again? Did she fancy him? Back in third year he would have been thrilled at the idea, since he spent a lot of time trying to peek up her skirts. But those days were long past and Ron wasn't sure he wanted her fancying him.

He heard Harry's voice ask, "How are your mum and dad doing?"

Ginny replied, "They're still asleep. I suspect Pomfrey slipped a sleeping potion to them."

Ron woke with a start, and immediately felt his hand being released. He turned to confront Lavender about holding his hand, and found himself face to face with Hermione instead.

"Ron, you're awake," she pointed out, rather unnecessarily he thought.

He blinked at her, confused. Had HERMIONE been holding his hand? Nah, he must have been imagining it.

"Ron, how do you feel?" questioned Harry, and Ron turned his head to the other side of his bed to find Harry and Ginny sitting closer together than Ron thought necessary.

"Better, which isn't saying a lot."

Harry grimanced, "Yeah, you've been pretty sick."

Ginny leaned forward eagerly, "Ron, you should have seen it. Of course, if you could have, it wouldn't have happened."

"Ginny," complained Ron, "you're not making sense."

"Well, I'm trying to tell you about Mum and Dad coming here."

Harry grinned, "Yeah, that was classic!"

Ron stared at them, puzzled, "What was classic?"

"Mum and Dad!" Ginny gestured, excited, "They appeared at the gates of the school and demanded to be let in. Umbridge and Filch stood there looking smug saying they wouldn't be allowed in.

"Mum hexed Umbridge! She said since she looked like a toad, she should have some toad food, and Umbridge was covered with a swarm of mosquitoes!"

"It was fantastic!" laughed Harry. "You couldn't even see Umbridge, just a huge dark cloud of mosquitoes!

"Your Mum told Filch he had about two seconds to let her in, or he would have a cloud of wasps! Filch couldn't open the gates fast enough!"

"I miss all the fun," complained Ron.

"It wasn't fun!" exclaimed Hermione, upset. "We thought you were going to die! I was so scared! It was horrible," she buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking.

Ron stared at her. appalled, and more than a little panicked. Hermione was crying! He wasn't sure why she was crying, but he was certain he had to do something. He couldn't just let her cry.

Ron reached for her as best he could, but as weak and sore as he was, he could only lightly pat her bent head, "Come on, Hermione. Please don't cry. I hate it when you cry."

The next thing he knew Ron had an armful of girl as Hermione suddenly launched herself on him, hugging his neck, and crying into his shoulder. Ron recalled this happening third year, and he felt no more prepared to handle it now.

At least this time it was a little more comfortable, as Ron was propped up on a mound of pillows, and Hermione was sitting on the edge of the bed, her torso laying across his chest. Ron instinctively tightened his arms around her, and that seemed the right thing to do, as he could feel her relax.

Ron looked to Harry and Ginny for some help, but Harry was studying the ceiling with more intensity than Ron was sure it warrented, and Ginny seemed fascinated with her fingernails. Ron scowled at the pair of them, not that either noticed.

Hermione went limp in his arms, and Ron clumsily brushed the hair out of her face, and make a shocking discovery.

"Bloody hell!" he exclaimed in a harsh whisper. "She fell asleep!"

"She's probably exhausted," Ginny whispered back. "Let her sleep!"

"But why is she so tired?"

"Well," Harry hedged, "she might have borrowed my invisibility cloak and spent the night in here."

Ron glared at him, "What do you mean she might have borrowed it? Did she borrow it or not?"

Harry sighed, "I went to get the cloak to sneak in here last night to see how bad you were, and it was gone. When I looked at the map, Hermione was in here."

Harry gestured toward a corner, "I'm pretty sure she was in that corner underneath the cloak all night."

Ron frowned, "Why would she do that?"

Ginny hissed, "You did not just ask that."

Ron cringed away from his sister, why did witches have to be so scary? "So what should I do now?"

"I told you! Let her sleep!" answered Ginny. Then she looked at Harry, "You ready to get out of here? I have homework."

"Yeah, me too," hastily agreed Harry.

Ron stared at them in panic as they stood to leave, "You can't just leave me!"

"Why not? You seem to have the situation well in hand," whispered Harry cheerfully.

Pinned as he was by Hermione, Ron could only watch helplessly as Harry and Ginny waved goodbye and left. Ron sighed, and surveyed the sleeping girl in his arms. Like any normal teenage boy, he had often fantasized about sleeping with a girl, but this isn't what he had in mind.

On the other hand, it didn't suck. It was actually quite pleasant holding Hermione. She felt warm and soft, and something about having her in his arms felt right. Ron started to relax.

Ron was on the verge of falling asleep again, whn he heard a gasp, and looked up into the shocked face of his mother.

"She was crying and fall asleep," he said quickly, hoping to appease her.

Mum stared at him for a moment, then looked at Hermione, still sound asleep.

"Well, okay," she said, sitting down. "How are you feeling?"

"Weak and tired, but much better," answered Ron. "I guess it was a rough night?"

"Your fever spiked, " Mum said. "You were sweating so heavily you soaked through everything. We kept switching you back and forth between two beds so we could change the sheets.

"We gave up keeping any hospital gown on you, because it was immediately drenched. We kept trying to cool you down, but at first nothing seemed to help.

"We debated taking you to St. Mungos, but were afraid the trip itself might be too much for you," Mum's voice wavered. "Poppy was honest, she warned us that if we couldn't get your fever to break that. . ." Mum didn't finish the sentence. She didn't really have to, Ron understood.

"Then, thank Merlin, your fever broke. You woke up briefly, do you remember?"

"I remember having strange dreams, and seeing you," Ron replied, staring absently at the corner where Harry said Hermione had spent the night. Then, something Mum had said registered with him, and Ron winced, "Mum, did you say I didn't have any clothes on?"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Ron," snapped his mother. "It was only your father, Poppy and I, and we were more concerned about preserving your life than your modesty."

"I know, I'm sorry," mumbled Ron.

Mum's focus switched to Hermione, "Why is she so tired?"

"She stayed up all night taking care of me after the whipping," Ron immediately answered. He certainly wasn't going to volunteer where Hermione had been last night.

He had said the right thing. Mum's face softened, "Oh, poor girl! Let her sleep!"

"Mum? Thanks, for everything. For being here and for taking care of me. I'm sorry for all the worry I've caused you and Dad."

Mum stroked his hair, "Don't be silly. You're our child. There's nothing your father and I wouldn't do for our children.

"But now that you're out of danger, we need to go back home. Your father and I are meeting with Professor McGonagall, then we'll say goodbye to you and Ginny and take our leave.

"I just came in to check on you before meeting with McGonagall. Is there anything you need?"

Ron shook his head, "No, I'm good."

Mum kissed his cheek, "Alright, I'll see you in a bit."

She left, and Ron was left with his own thoughts, which weren't happy. His typical luck, Ron ruefully acknowledged. The first time he has a sleeping girl in his arms is nothing like he had dreamed of, and the first time a girl sees him starkers is also nothing like he hoped for.

Not that he was entirely certain he wanted a girl to see him starkers anyway. Ron was all too aware that his arms and legs were too long and skinny, his hands and feet too big and ugly, and his torso too thin.

Although he DID have more muscles now than he had at the first of the year, thanks to quidditch. Still, being helpless and limp, dripping with sweat while three adults moved his body around trying to keep him cool hardly cut an heroic image.

Some small movement alerted him, and Ron looked down into Hermione's brown eyes.

"Um, hi," she said, turning pink.

"Hi," Ron replied, suddenly feeling shy. "You fell asleep."

"Oh, sorry!" Hermione set up abruptly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep on top of you!"

"It's alright," Ron assured her, but Hermione was looking at the clock.

"Merlin! Is it that late? I'm going to be late for prefect patrol! I need to go!"

"By yourself," said Ron, unhappily. "I mean, you don't have a partner now. Sorry."

"That's right, you missed what happened. There's a lot to tell you regarding Umbridge and your prefect badge, but it'll have to wait 'till later. I haven't the time now," exclaimed Hermione.

"Wait! What are you talking about? What did I miss?"

Hermione kissed his cheek, "Later, I'll explain everything. But I really need to leave now."

And with that she was gone.


	11. Chapter 11

Lions Breed True Chapter 11

 **Okay, just to make sure there is no confusion, let me start with a few explanations. At the beginning of chapter 9 Ron is delirious. (The things he sees are based roughly on things I once saw in a delirium. They were modified to things I thought Ron might see.)**

 **At the beginning of chapter 10 Ron is having a NDE (Near Death Experience). Just as Ron is about to cross over, physic connections to loved ones still alive call him back. He experiences these connections as hearing the voices of loved ones.**

 **Most of the loved ones are not physically there, but they're calling out to Ron spiritually. Those voices bring Ron back.**

 **Ron almost dies from Umbridge's brutal punishment. ANY parent would question if they would want their children to stay in a school headed by such a monster.**

 **Thanks again for anyone who is reading, I hope this cleared up any questions.**

"Ron? Hey Ron?"

Okay, which one of his dorm mates was trying to wake him up? The voice didn't sound familiar. Wait a minute, he wasn't in his dorm. Who was this?

"Hey Ron, are you awake?"

Well, he was now. Not that he wanted to be. Ron forced his eyes open and tried to look alert for his visitor. Colin Cheevey? What the bloody hell was Colin Cheevey doing here?Maybe he was hallucinating again.

"Ron, you're awake!" said Colin happily.

He HAD to be hallucinating again. But why Colin of all people? If Ron was going to start seeing imaginary people, why not Fleur Delacour?

"Ron, you ARE awake, aren't you?" asked Colin anxiously.

Wow, what a vivid hallucination this was. It not looked like Colin, it sounded exactly like him.

"Mr. Cheevey! I said you may visit Mr. Weasley if he was awake. That did not mean you had permission to wake him!" exclaimed Madame Pomfrey.

Colin looked so downcast, Ron suddenly came to himself and sat up a little bit.

"I'm awake," he said hastily, and was rewarded by Colin's grateful look.

Pomfrey gave a dour sniff and retreated, and Ron regarded his unexpected visitor, "What's going on?"

"I promised to show you some pictures, remember? I thought you might like to see them," Colin said, thrusting a pile of photographs into Ron's lap.

Ron stared at the top photo, and sucked in his breath. He was looking at himself, bound to the whipping post. In the moving picture, Ron could see himself trembling, and sweat dripping off him. His back was lacerated, and when another lash landed, Ron watched his body jerk and a fresh welt appear.

Swallowing hard, Ron moved on to the next picture, showing an elated Umbridge and Filch. The expressions on their faces was both chilling and disturbing. The pair of them were almost swooning with pleasure. Ron felt sick at the idea that they would target a new victim simply for the fun of it. He hoped his dad was right, and whippings would soon be banned.

"That picture is sort of creepy, isn't it?" asked Colin, in a small voice.

"That's one word on for it," agreed Ron, dryly.

"I couldn't stand to take too many of you, while you know, it was happening," confided Colin. "So most of them are of people who were watching."

Ron stared at the stack of pictures in dismay. Did he really want to see these? He wasn't sure which would be worse, seeing the gloating faces of Slytherins like Malfoy, or the anguished faces of his friends.

For the first time, Ron realized he hadn't been the only tortured that day. In fact, he wasn't sure he had endured the worst of it. Given a choice of being whipped again, or having to watch someone he loved whipped, Ron knew he would pick taking the whip again. And it wouldn't actually be generous of him.

Still, they HAD watched. The least he could do was look at some pictures. So Ron reluctantly started looking through the photos.

Just as expected, Malfoy and his friends looked smug and pleased. But surprisingly, not all of the snakes seemed to be enjoying themselves. There were a few that were stone-faced, and some were staring at the ground rather than watching the whipping.

For the most part, the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws looked distraught. Luna, Ron noted, was also staring at the ground, and had tears running down her face. He didn't even know her that well, so Ron was surprised she seemed so upset.

Unsurprisingly, most of the photos were of the Gryffindors. Some of the girls were crying, but most of the lions looked angry and sullen. Neville, Dean and Seamus stood together, and the expressions on their faces was a bit frightening. They looked furious.

But that was nothing compared to Harry's face. He stood ramrod straight, shaking with fury, eyes glowering, and fists clenched while he stoically watched.

Ginny, however, didn't watch. She had her back turned to the camera, leaning against Harry's left shoulder. She periodically flinched, and Ron knew it was when a lash landed.

Ron remembered the agony of watching Ginny spanked, and understood how she felt. He suddenly wondered what his sister had found the most painful part of their punishment on that long ago June day.

"I asked Harry why he watched," Colin said suddenly, and his voice startled Ron. He had almost forgotten Colin was there. Which was silly, since Ron was looking at pictures Colin had taken.

Then what Colin said registered with Ron, and he looked up at him, "What was Harry's answer?"

"He said if you could take it, the least he could do was watch you take it."

Ron swallowed the lump in his throat, "Then he's stronger than me, I couldn't have watched him take it."

Colin nodded, "That's why I took the pictures really. It helped distract me."

Ron frowned, there was one face he didn't see, and he started scanning the photos looking for it. Colin must have guessed what he wanted, because he volunteered, "I had enough film for one more picture. I thought about taking one of the professors arguing with Umbridge after the whipping, but couldn't get a good shot.

"Then everyone was heading back to their Houses, and I saw Luna talking to Harry and Ginny, pointing over to the side of the courtyard. I hadn't seen her before, so I took my last picture of her."

She was kneeling in the muck, curled up in almost the fetal position. Her bushy hair obscured her face, but she was obviously crying. Her whole body shook silently in the moving picture.

"It's painful, isn't it?" observed Colin.

Ron realized his hand holding the picture was shaking violently.

"Yes," he gasped, "it's...hard to look at. Wait, what did Harry and Ginny do?"

"They helped Hermione to her feet and walked her back to Gryffindor tower," Colin simply replied.

"Thank Merlin," breathed Ron. "Colin, thanks for showing me these, but I need to rest now."

Colin immediately jumped to his feet, "Of course! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wear you out! Pomfrey said you still need plenty of rest, and not to disturb you. I didn't disturb you, did I?"

"No, it's fine, I'm just tired," Ron assured him.

After Colin had gathered up his pictures and took his leave, Ron struggled to control his breathing. It hurt to see anyone in that much agony, but especially Hermione. He was somewhat surprised she was so anguished over HIM.

Well, they were good friends, so of course he knew she wouldn't like him being whipped, but he thought she only cared this much about Harry.

Ron squirmed in shame. None of this would have happened if he and Harry had listened to her. Telling himself that Harry was in one of his heedless moods and was going to do what he wanted didn't help.

Ron had known all along that Hermione had a valid point. By contacting Sirius, Harry was putting not just himself and Sirius in danger, but also endangering the whole Order of the Phoenix.

If Ron had called Harry on that, if he had asked Harry if whatever he needed to talk to Sirius about was worth risking everyone's lives (which included most of Ron's family), would Harry have changed his mind?

They would never know now, and such thinking was pointless. But Ron was too good a strategist not to have realized in advance that he, Harry and the twins were dangerously playing with people's lives with their recklessness.

The twins were not chess players, and were only intent on their brilliant prank. Ron realized, after the fact, they had also planned on dropping out of school anyway.

Harry had been so obsessed with whatever it was that he wanted to talk to Sirius about that he had turned a blind eye to anything else.

And as for himself? Once again he had ignored his instincts. A huge part of him had wanted to grab Harry and force him to listen to reason. At the time Ron had told himself if Harry wouldn't listen to Hermione, he also wouldn't pay any attention to Ron.

The trouble with that argument was that Ron knew better. Hermione was such a nag that both boys often ignored her out of sheer desperation. But Harry would pay attention to Ron. Especially because Ron had a telling argument that Hermione lacked; the safety of his own family.

Well, he had done what he needed to protect his family, but if he had followed his instincts, none of it would have happened. He wouldn't have been whipped and nearly died.

His parents wouldn't have spent a terrified sleepless night working to keep him alive, and Hermione wouldn't have knelt in the mud crying over him.

She had cried over him. Hermione had CRIED over him. Ron simply couldn't work his mind around that thought. He knew he had made her cry before, most notably their first Halloween together. Oh, and third year? His viciousness over Scabbers have caused her to cry as well.

Ron twisted in shame, what was wrong with him that he often make her cry? He really didn't mean to, but she was much more sensitive than Ron was use to. Being subjected to the constant teasing of the twins hardened you up pretty quick. Ron had learned early to give as well as take.

Even Ginny could take some pretty rough teasing and verbal abuse. But Hermione seemed to take everything to heart. Well, at least everything HE said, she didn't seem to care much what Malfoy said.

But his time it hadn't been his own cruelty that had caused Hermione's tears, it had been Umbridge's. Ron may have deserved punishment for the fireworks, but not the punishment he received. Nothing he had done merited such a savage whipping.

Still, Ron couldn't escape the fact that he had once again hurt Hermione. Not to mention Harry, Ginny, and a whole lot of other students. It wasn't as if he didn't know what Umbridge was like. A severe punishment had not just been a possibility, but a probability.

So what was he to do now? Apologize? Ron grimaced. He could well imagine his own reaction if Harry had tried to apologize for the blood quill. About the only idea Ron could manage was acknowledging that they had all suffered as well.

It would have to do. There wasn't much else Ron could do, and he was exhausted just thinking about it. He didn't mean to fall asleep again, but he did.

He had Harry there when he woke up again. Harry was intent on reading his Charms textbook, and didn't notice at first the Ron was awake.

"Hey," Ron said.

Harry immediately looked up and grinned, "Hey yourself. How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted," Ron admitted. "I don't have any strength."

"Just rest and take it easy," Harry soothed. "You'll regain it."

"Where's everyone else?"

"What? I'm not good enough for you?" joked Harry. "Ginny's at Quidditch practice, and Hermione's on prefect rounds.

"By the way, your broom is helping Ginny a lot."

"Who's playing keeper?" Ron wanted to know.

Harry frowned, "Cormac. Angelina is not happy with him. Ginny says he's a disaster."

"Well, he can't be worse than me," Ron observed.

Harry shrugged, "According to Ginny he is."

Ron suddenly thought of something, "Hermione said something about the prefects? Something happened I don't know about?"

Harry grinned, "Oh yeah, that was brilliant! But the girls might want to be here to tell you as well."

Ron eyed Harry uneasily, "Alright, now you've got me very curious."

"Curiosity is good for you," said Harry.

"Since when?" snarled Ron.

Harry just grinned at him, and Ron sighed in defeat, "You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"Nope!" said Harry, cheerfully.

They fell silent a moment, then Ron cleared his throat, "I forgot to ask, did it work?"

Harry stared blankly at him, "Did what work?"

"The diversions. Did you manage to talk to Sirius?"

Harry went still for a minute, then said in a small voice, "Yes."

"Good."

"Ron? It wasn't worth it. I mean, what I had to talk with Sirius about wasn't that important. It could have waited."

Ron shook his head, "Don't blame yourself for what Umbridge did. Besides, it's not like you weren't punished as well."

Harry blinked, "How was I punished?"

"You watched."

There was a moment of silence, then Harry drew in a deep breath, "Yeah, that was torturous."

"Thanks for taking care of my sister."

"How did you know about that?" asked a puzzled Harry.

"Colin showed me some pictures," replied Ron. "I think you and Ginny also took care of Hermione."

"She was almost in shock," said Harry. "Ron, you need to talk to her."

"I know," said Ron unhappily. "But I've no clue what to say."

Harry smiled, "Trust your instincts."

 **Sorry for the delay in posting. Originally, chapter 4 had the whipping from Harry's POV. I was happy with the chapter itself, but it was too jarring to the story to switch POV's like that, so I deleted it. This is an attempt to restore it.**

 **In the original, Luna confronts Harry and Ginny and insists the Hermione needs them. That's when they find her kneeling in the mud in a state of shock. Later, Ginny asks Harry if he managed to talk to Sirius. When Harry admits that he did, she asks if it was worth her brother's sacrifice.**

 **Finally, the line about nothing Ron had done deserved such a brutal whipping is a snipe at the Ron bashers. They LOVE to make Ron their whipping boy and point out all his flaws and mistakes. To add insult to injury, a lot of them ADORE Malfoy. It always amazes me that they can hold Ron's feet to the fire, while ignoring their darling almost MURDERED two people.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	12. Chapter 12

Lions Breed True Chapter 12

"Alright, we'll tell you."

"It's about time, I'm about to go mental here."

"What do you mean about to go mental," scoffed Harry. "Hate to break it to you mate, you're already there."

"I suppose you think that's funny?" observed Ron. "It's not."

"True though," chimed in Ginny.

"Shut it Ginny."

"Just for that, let's not tell him."

"Oh, come on. I'm not well. It's not good for me to be agitated."

"Stop teasing him, you two," scolded Hermione. "He should know anyway."

"Thanks Hermione!" Ron beamed at her, "I can always count on you. So tell me, what happened?"

"Well," Harry started, "at supper Umbridge gave one of her little speeches she's so fond of, and went on and on about how sad it was that Gryffindor lost one of its house prefects."

"McGonagall obviously didn't know she was going to do that," interrupted Ginny. "She jumped to her feet and stood beside Umbridge, saying if this concerned Gryffindor, she had to be involved."

"You could tell Umbridge really didn't like it," said Hermione. "But she's a little intimidated by McGonagall, so she didn't try to stop her."

Harry waited a minute to see if the girls were going to say anything else, then continued, "Anyway, Umbridge said that the according to the school rules, there had to be a fifth year male prefect, so she called Neville up.

"When Neville walked up to her, she congratulated him, and tried to give him the prefect badge."

"But Neville refused it!" burst in Ginny. "He said he was honored, but he couldn't in good conscious accept the badge. The he sat back down."

"You should have seen Umbridge's face," said Hermione in satisfaction. "She kept opening and closing her mouth like a fish. Then she turned red with fury, but she was trying to look calm in front of everyone."

"She called Seamus up next, and tried to give him the badge, but he said the same thing Neville did, and sat back down," Harry said.

"Then it was Dean's turn, same thing, except Umbridge tried to force him to take the badge.

"That's when McGonagall took it out of her hand, saying if Dean didn't want to be prefect, they couldn't force him."

"Of course, the reason Umbridge was desperate for Dean to accept was that only Harry was left," laughed Hermione. "She really didn't want to offer Harry that badge!"

"So you're prefect now?" asked Ron.

"Of course not! McGonagall offered it to me, but I refused it as well," exclaimed Harry.

Ginny grinned, "McGonagall then said that was nothing else to do but give you back your badge! I thought Umbridge was going to burst a blood vessel!"

Ron sat in shock, trying to absorb all this. He felt an overwhelming and curiously humbling gratitude for the loyalty the Gryffindor fifth years had shown toward him. But...

"You should have accepted the badge!" Ron blurted out to Harry. "The twins were right. There's no way I should have been made prefect. It should have been you!"

Harry flushed and shook his head, "Alright, I'll admit that at first I was a bit upset that it wasn't me. But I've since changed my mind.

"I've watched you Ron. You're a good prefect. Better than I would have been, especially this year. I have a tendency to get obsessed with something, and ignore things I should be doing.

"And this year I've been exceptionally bad about that. I would have driven Hermione mental if she had to partner with me."

Harry took a deep breath, "Also, let's face it, I'm too famous. The younger kids are afraid to approach me. But they're comfortable talking to you.

"So when McGonagall returns your badge, just accept. You've earned it."

Blokes don't cry in front of others, it just wasn't done. Ron resorted to an old trick Percy had taught him; he coughed. Why that kept tears away Ron didn't know, but it worked.

Another thought occurred to Ron though, and he said slowly, "All this couldn't have just happened. It must have been planned."

Harry grinned, "It was sort of planned, but it turned out much better than we anticipated. Neville, Seamus, Dean and I had talked it over beforehand.

"Neville realized somebody had to be named prefect, and he thought it would be him simply because he's the only other pure-blood in our year. But he said he couldn't accept it. Seamus and Dean agreed with him. I did too, but I never thought I'd be offered the badge.

"Umbridge doing everything so publicly and giving McGonagall a chance to join in was an unexpected surprise."

Ron fidgeted, and played with his blanket, "Thank you. I owe Neville and everyone else a thank you as well.

"Not just for this, but for everything. Gryffindor has been incredibly loyal to me. I'm grateful.

"And well, the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, they stood up for me too. I don't know how I can repay everyone."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, then Hermione said haltingly, "We're all in this together. The whole school, except for the Slytherins, and maybe even some of them, are being terrorized by Umbridge."

"If if hadn't been you, somebody else probably would have been whipped," added Ginny.

"I know what you mean though," said Harry. "Now you know how I feel. I never feel I can repay you and Hermione and Ginny and your family for standing by me."

"Of course we'll stand by you!" exclaimed Ron indignantly. "And there's nothing to repay."

Harry grinned, "Right back at you."

Before Ron could reply to this there was a tapping at the window, and they all turned to look. Ron's jaw almost hit the floor in shock, "Hermes!"

Ginny angrily jumped to her feet, "Why would our git of a brother be owling you?"

"Um," suggested Hermione, "maybe someone should let him in?"

When Harry opened the window Hermes immediately flew to Ron and held out his leg. Swallowing hard, Ron slowly took the letter from the owl's leg.

He looked up to see everyone staring at him.

"Aren't you going to read it?" asked Ginny.

Ron took a deep breath and opened the letter, "Yeah, sure."

It was only nine words long, 'What do you call a one-legged woman? Ilene.'

The hairs on the back of Ron's neck stood straight up, remembering Percy's voice telling him this same horrible joke just when he was about to step into a bright meadow.

"Well? What does he say?" demanded Ginny harshly.

Ron looked up to see the other three looking at him expectantly, and realized they all assumed they were going to read his letter. Ron clutched the letter, feeling resentful.

Even if he did let them read it, they wouldn't understand it. Anyway, he wasn't obliged to let them read it. All of them had their own private relationships with other people, and didn't share everything with him.

Harry had private conversations with Dumbledore and Sirius. Hermione wrote her darling Vicky, and he wrote back, and she certainly never shared those letters. Ginny had her own set of friends and would have been outraged at the idea that she should tell Ron everything about them.

Ron's relationship with Percy was special, and belonged to them. Even if Percy was being a git, even if Ron was furious at him, Percy was his brother, and Ron still loved him.

Ron didn't think he should have to either explain or defend his relationship with Percy.

"It's nothing, really. He's just telling me he's sorry about what happened."

Harry, Hermione and Ginny stared at him, gaping in surprise.

"We can't read it?" questioned an incredulous Ginny.

"Honest! There's nothing about Umbridge, or Harry, or anything that's been going on. He just said he was sorry for me being hurt."

"Too bad he didn't say that when Dad was hurt!" spat Ginny, and Ron winced. Percy's omission there still haunted him.

"If Ron doesn't want to share his letter he doesn't have to," said Hermione quickly. Ron smiled weakly at her, grateful for the support. But he could sense she was disappointed, same as Harry and Ginny.

"I think we've worn you out. We should probably let you sleep," observed Harry.

"Yeah, I am tired. But I was happy to see you. Tell everyone thanks for me, won't you? I mean, about, you know, the prefect badge."

Harry smiled, "Sure. And Hermione's right you know. You have a right to your own letters."

Ginny had the grace to look ashamed, "Yeah, sorry. If you don't want to let us read it, it's alright. I forgot how close you and Percy use to be."

Ron saw the surprised expressions on Harry and Hermione's faces, and knew Ron being close to Percy was news to them. Well, He hadn't told them everything about his life, and he was sure there was a lot they hadn't told him, either.

Finally they left him alone in the hospital wing, and Ron stared blankly at Hermes, pondering Percy sending him the same bad joke that had started pulling Ron back from death.

He wished there was someone he felt comfortable talking to about this. Harry would be good, but he had too much going on in his own life and never had time to listen to Ron's troubles.

Hermione simply wasn't good with anything that wasn't practical and straightforward. She had no patience for the metaphysical.

It was sad but true that Ron wasn't close enough to either of his parents, his twin brothers or Ginny to have this type of discussion with any of them.

Who he really wanted to talk to was Percy, but Ron was fairly certain that wasn't going to happen. If he was around, Bill would probably be a good candidate, but he was seldom around.

Coming to a sudden decision, Ron grabbed some parchment, ink and a quill that Hermione had optimistically left in case he was up to doing some homework.

Tickling his chin with the quill, Ron thought a moment, then wrote, 'What do the Japanese call a one-legged woman? Irene.

Calling Hermes over, Ron fixed the note on the owl's leg, "Take this to Percy."


	13. Chapter 13

Lions Breed True Chapter13

 **Someone asked me to explain the joke Percy sent Ron, so here goes: Ilene and Irene are woman's names. Ilene is pronounced I lean (like lean to one side). A one-legged woman would lean to one side. Japanese (and Chinese) people often have a hard time with the English letter 'L'. They usually pronounce it like 'R'. (The scene from the end of 'A Christmas Story' uses this for fun when the restaurant workers sing 'ra ra ra' instead of 'la la la'.) So a Japanese person would probably pronounce Ilene as Irene.**

"Are you certain you're ready for this?"

"Trust me, I'm ready."

"You know what Madame Pomfrey said, you have to take it easy. Honestly Ron, you don't want to end up back in the hospital wing," scolded Hermione.

Ron sighed, "I'm not going to end up back in the hospital wing. I just got out of there, and I was never more relieved to leave a place in my life. I was bored out of my skull."

Hermione grinned, "I know. You even did your homework. You must have been bored."

"Cheeky witch," muttered Ron.

Hermione laughed at him, and Ron grinned. It felt so good to be out of bed and feeling better. Even going to classes and homework was more fun than laying in bed all the time.

And now Ron was doing something he had thought he never would again; walking patrol with Hermione.

It would have been perfect if Ron had never seen that photo of Hermione on her knees in the mud, sobbing.

Ron was all too aware that things needed to be said, but he had no idea where to start, or what to say after he started.

Harry had told Ron to trust his instincts, but Ron's instincts were in a flat out war with cold hard logic.

Ron's instincts were screaming for him to tell her fancied her. Maybe even loved her, if it was possible to fall head-over-heels in love at sixteen.

The strategist in Ron was giving him all sorts of reasons why this would be a terrible idea.

First, right now things couldn't be about Ron and Hermione; everything had to be about Harry. Ron resented it at times, but he knew it wasn't Harry's fault. And the last thing Harry needed was tension between Ron and Hermione.

If he said something and she didn't feel the same way, it would definitely cause tension between them.

Second, and more importantly, Ron simply wasn't good enough for Hermione. She was one of the 'bright, shiny ones', and he wasn't. He had known for the last ten years that he wasn't one of the ones fate favored. His own mother had said so.

 _Mum was entertaining some of her old school friends. Before they came everyone had to pitch in helping to make the Burrow neat and clean, then Mum had gone into a baking frenzy, making fancy biscuits._

 _She still had a platter of them cooling on the windowsill when her guests arrived, and Mum had chased all the kids outside to play. The twins had immediately gone about stealing some of the biscuits from the window. Ron had watched enviously, certain that if he tried he would get caught._

 _Still, he couldn't resist creeping up to the window to try his luck. But before he worked up his nerve to grab one, he heard Mum bragging that Bill was very handsome and smart, and that Charlie was very athletic and popular._

 _Next she boosted how Percy was so mature and responsible, and how terribly clever and charming the twins were. Ron strained his ears to hear what she said about him, but she skipped on to Ginny._

 _She said Ginny was like all her older brothers, bright and shiny as newly minted galleons._

 _The other ladies all commented how happy she must be to finally have a daughter, and Mum agreed, saying how disappointed she had been when her sixth child was another boy._

 _Then she had laughed and said, "And what a boy! Nothing bright or shiny about that one! I think he's a changeling. I never saw such a clumsy child in my life. He can't walk across the room without tripping over his own two feet."_

 _Ron had slowly backed away from the window, all thoughts of stealing a biscuit forgotten. He fled to find some secluded place where the twins wouldn't catch him crying._

 _For years Ron tried to figure out why he had to be the one who was a clumsy changeling instead of one of the bright beautiful ones. But in the end it didn't matter so much why, it was simply enough to know he was not one of the favored ones like all of his sibling._

 _Sometimes he was angry at fate so making him the oaf, but mostly he felt apologetic. He was sorry he ruined his parents and siblings perfect family by being such a reject. He thought it must be hard for his parents to accept and love such a deformity as himself._

Ron had recognized from the the beginning that Harry and Hermione were also favored by fate, and so were bright and shiny. It was enough, it HAD to be enough, that they accepted him as a friend.

If she survived the coming war, Hermione was headed for great things. She was so bright and beautiful and driven there was nothing she couldn't accomplish. The last thing she needed was to be held back by an inferior being like himself.

So he couldn't admit he fancied her. But Ron recognized he needed to say something. He was just unsure what that something was. Some of his internal conflict must have shown on his face though, because Hermione was eying him with concern.

"Are you in pain?" she asked anxiously.

Ron shook his head, "No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? How are your wounds healing?"

"They're fine, although I think I'll have worse scars than Dad."

Hermione stopped walking and gaped at Ron, "Your dad! You mean he was whipped?"

"Well, yeah. You didn't know?"

"No! No one told me! Why was he whipped?"

"He and Mum were out until almost four in the morning. Dad caused a diversion that let Mum slip away, but he was caught."

Ron shrugged, "At least he was whipped privately. And he went straight to the hospital wing afterward."

"Your mum didn't have to watch? Lucky her," said Hermione bitterly.

This was too good an opening, and Ron was too good a strategist not to take advantage.

"I'm sorry you watched. I mean," Ron fumbled, "I know it wasn't pleasant for anyone." Ron reflected a moment, "Well, probably Malfoy and that lot enjoyed it. But most of the school didn't."

Hermione stared at Ron in disbelief, then laughed hysterically, "Not pleasant! Not pleasant! I can't believe you said that!

"It was brutal! It was one of the worse ordeals I've ever been through in my life, if not the worst. And you call it not pleasant?"

Alright, this wasn't going well. Ron cursed himself under his breath, and tried to figure out where to go from here.

"What do you want me to say?"

"Oh, just call it not pleasant!" and after this remarkable display, Hermione burst into tears.

Alarmed, Ron pulled her into a hug, "Hermione, please stop. Don't cry. I never know what to do when you cry."

Hermione was clutching his robe, shaking with tears, "I...it was horrible! I wanted it to stop! They were hurting you so bad! I couldn't bear it! I hated...I hated it! I kept praying for it to stop! And they just...Filch kept on whipping you! Umbridge enjoyed it! I could see her face! I was so afraid!"

Ron tried to follow this with some difficulty. Luckily, he had grown up with a younger sister and wasn't completely unfamiliar with hysterical girls. Usually it was best to let them cry it out, so he tried patting her on the back and making soothing noises.

To his relief, it seemed to work and Hermione visibly calmed down. She pushed away from him, wiping her eyes, "Sorry. I always seem to cry all over you."

"It's fine. I didn't mean to upset you. I just meant I wasn't the only one who suffered that day."

Hermione looked at him quickly, "No, you weren't." There was an awkward silence, then she asked, "Was there anything else you wanted to say?"

Well, there was. But Ron knew he couldn't say what he wanted, "Um, no. Should there be?"

Hermione looked disappointed, "I guess not. We should finish our rounds."

They quietly finished their patrol, while Ron pondered exactly how he had disappointed Hermione.

 **A few notes here. For American readers, British biscuits are more like what we would call fancy cookies or crackers. (To Brits, our biscuits are are more like what you would call scones.)**

 **Second, please don't hate Molly too much. Ron didn't hear everything she said. If he had listened to the whole conversation, he would have heard his mother compare him to an adorable puppy who hadn't grown into his paws yet. Then she said she was now happy she had her sixth son, because that was the one who was going to be like her beloved Arthur.**

 **Finally, I've been asked to post the original chapter 4 that showed the whipping from Harry's POV. I truly deleted it, so I would have to rewrite it, but I pretty much remember it so that's possible.**

 **Are there any others who would be interested in this? Please let me know. Thanks again for reading.**


	14. Chapter 14

Lions Breed True Chapter 14

 **First, I again want to thank everyone for reading and reviewing. It's very flattering. Second, to answer Billybob (I've read and enjoyed your stories, and was surprised and pleased by your review), I'm sorry, but this is the only site I post on.**

 **As for whether Ron and Hermione will stay together in wedded bliss; while I can't promise they will, I do believe they will. Right now Rowling is regarded fondly in the hollowed halls of English academia. There are a lot of reasons for this, but a major one is her understanding of and devotion to alchemy.**

 **I have to believe that at this point Rowling can't be too concerned with money, but would like her works to be well regarded. Going against traditional alchemy by splitting up the Red King and White Queen would be a major faux pas. I can't imagine why she would do that. (By the way, my rant at the start of chapter 10 was a reaction to Rupert Grint's statement.)**

"Congratulations Ron, it's official. You're the last student who will ever be whipped at Hogwarts," said Hermione, looking up from her copy of the 'Daily Prophet' at the breakfast table.

Ron sighed, "Well, I guess that's one way to get into the history books. Anyone want my autograph?"

"I've already got it," quipped Harry. "Maybe I should start saving your letters."

"You mean you haven't been saving those missives of wit and wisdom already?"

Hermione looked surprised, "Where did you learn an archaic word like missives?"

Ron tried looking superior, "I happen to be a well-educated individual with an expansive vocabulary."

"You been keeping that a secret from us all these years?" grinned Harry.

"Shut it Harry," warned Ron.

"Great Aunt Muriel," said Ginny. "She always calls letters missives."

Ron scowled at her, "Little sisters should be illegal."

"I feel the same about older brothers," threw back Ginny.

"Now that the whip is officially banned, we are free to go after Malfoy," observed Harry.

"Yeah, but let's be careful, there's still the blood quill," cautioned Ron.

"I don't think we should do anything major to him," said Ginny, thoughtfully. "The school's in total rebellion anyway, with Umbridge's pets being prime targets. We can target Malfoy a little more, and it will probably drive him mental, but he won't be able to prove anything.

"Hopefully, at first he will think maybe he's just unlucky."

Harry nodded, "I see your point. Start a little itch with him that slowly builds until he's not sure if he's imagining it or not."

"Exactly!" exclaimed Ginny, pleased. "And to start, I'll hit him him with a small stinging hex. He won't be certain if he got hexed, or bit by a something."

"You're brilliant! I like it!" said Harry, and Ginny blushed at the compliment. They smiled at each other, and Ron frowned. His best mate and little sister seemed entirely too friendly.

"What do you mean about the school being in total rebellion?" asked Ron. "Have I missed something else?"

"Oh yeah," answered Harry. "Everyone keeps threatening to do a Weasley."

Ron gaped at Harry, "Do a Weasley? What the bloody hell does that mean?"

"Take off and leave school like your brothers did, of course," laughed Harry. "What else would it mean?"

"Well, I didn't suppose anyone wanted whipped," said Ron sourly. "Figures. I get whipped and the twins become heroes. There's nothing fair about my life."

"Oh cheer up," retorted Ginny. "If I have to hear one more girl swoon about how brave my brother is I'm going to vomit. Lavender's following you around like a puppy."

Ron perked up, "Lavender? Really? I hadn't noticed."

"I don't see how you could not notice," snapped Hermione. "You almost trip over her every time you turn around. And why are you so happy that Lavender suddenly fancies you?"

"She fancies me? Are you sure?" asked an astonished Ron.

Hermione went very still, "Do you fancy her back?"

"Well, no. But give me a break. I spent ages trying to peek up her skirts."

Hermione lept to her feet, "Well, I'm sure she would be delighted to give you a good gander now! Enjoy yourself! I have to get to class!" And with that she swept off.

Ron watched her leave in amazement, "What's got her knickers in a twist?"

Ginny was glaring at him, "Do you ever think before you open your mouth?"

"We better get to class too," said Harry hastily before the siblings could get into an all out row.

Ron trailed after Harry to class, mulling over what had upset Hermione. She couldn't fancy him, could she? Then he told himself not to be stupid, of course she didn't. At best Hermione took him for granted, and at worse she believed him to be a coarse buffoon.

Look how she had reacted when he had been named prefect. You would have thought he stole the badge out of Harry's hands. She certainly didn't think Ron deserved to be a prefect.

Then there was that awful Christmas present. You didn't get someone you fancied a homework planner, Not even Hermione would do that. On the other hand, Harry had also received a homework planner. That thought cheered Ron up since it meant Hermione couldn't fancy Harry either.

Ron wondered briefly what Harry had ever done with his homework planner. Ron had pitched his into the fireplace, because what else could you do with such an annoying gift? Hermione couldn't believe he was actually going to use it, could she?

They reached their classroom, and Harry grabbed Ron's arm, "Look, it will be alright. Just tell Hermione you're sorry, okay?"

"Sorry for what? What did I do?" demanded Ron.

Harry sighed, "You know, about Lavender and all."

No, I don't know!" retorted Ron. "Hermione went to the Yule Ball with Vicky, and she still writes him. She's made it very clear that her relationship with him is none of my business. So why is it any concern of hers who fancies me or whether I fancy them back?"

Harry looked taken back, "I, well, I guess you have a point."

"Of course I do," said Ron smugly.

"Ron?" asked Harry urgently, "You said you talked to Hermione. Did you? What did she say?"

Ron squirmed, "Yeah, I talked to her, but she didn't make much sense. She got all girlish."

"Hermione doesn't get girlish," argued Harry.

"Bloody hell she doesn't. She can turn into a watering pot with the best of them. Why do girls always start crying? I never know what to do when they cry."

"Who does? But Ron, you're the only one who makes Hermione cry. You might want to think about that," said Harry before going into the classroom.

Troubled, Ron followed Harry into the classroom. Alright, Harry had a point. Ron was too painfully aware that he was often responsible for making Hermione cry. But on the other hand, he was also the one who usually made her laugh as well. Didn't that count for anything?

Ron didn't see why Hermione would care if Lavender fancied him. Ron had never had a girl fancy him before. It was a bit exciting and flattering. He had never thought he was the kind of boy any girl fancied.

Ron tried smiling at Hermione when he took his seat, but she turned her head and ignored him. Ron sighed. Great, they were in another fight and as usual Ron had no idea what exactly they were fighting about. How could he change was he was doing if Hermione wouldn't tell him what he was doing wrong?

After class Ron complained bitterly to Harry, "What? I'm never to fancy some girl? Or is it just Lavender she has a problem with? You fancied Cho and she didn't care. Hermione didn't even mind when you snogged her. So why does she mind about Lavender?"

Harry stared, "Are you saying you do fancy Lavender?"

"Well, no," Ron admitted. "But I don't know why Hermione would care."

"I'm sure you can figure it out," replied Harry dryly, and after that he refused to discuss it.

After classes were over for the day Ron obediently went to see Madame Pomfrey so she could check his wounds.

"They're healing nicely," she told him. "Unless they start bothering you I don't believe you need to come back."

Ron sighed with relief, "Thank you. I mean for everything. I'm sorry if I was a troublesome brat."

Madame Pomfrey smiled, "No worse than your brothers, I assure you."

Ron smiled gratefully at her and prepared to leave when they heard a tapping at the window.

"There's an owl," said Madame Pomfrey blankly. "Is it for you?"

"It's from my brother," Ron answered, not volunteering which brother. To Ron's surprise, Hermes flew off as soon as the message was off his leg, not waiting for Ron to send a reply.

Ron opened his letter and read: 'What do the Japanese do when they have an erection? They vote. I heard how sick you've been. I haven't been so worried about you since you fell off the shack and broke your leg. I'm glad you're doing better. Your favorite BB.'

Ron sucked in a deep breath. Thank Merlin no one had come with him, He needed to hurry.

"Mr. Weasley? Are you alright?" asked Madame Pomfrey.

"Yes, thank you. I'm fine. I just remembered something I need to do," Ron replied.

Ron practically ran to the Whomping Willow, and ignoring the rule about not using wands outside of the classroom, sent a dirt clog flying toward the knot on the tree that immobilized it. Glancing around to make sure no one saw him, Ron hurried toward the revealed tunnel.

He hadn't been here since third year, and he had no good memories of that night, so it was a little creepy. Muttering "Lumos," Ron lit his wand and carefully made his way toward the Shrieking Shack.

"I knew you would figure it out," said a voice behind him.

Ron whirled around, "Percy!"

 **Okay, I know the whole Lavender mess doesn't happen until HBP, and I'm not having Ron and Lavender get together now, but I've always felt a little put off by how suddenly Ron takes up with Lavender.**

 **In true canon (the books), she's an extremely minor character until Ron snogs her. When I first read that I thought, what the hell? Where did she come from? This is one of the few cases where I thought the movie handled things better. At least there Lavender is clearly crushing on Ron.**

 **But in the books she almost pops up out of nowhere. I'm sure a lot of angry boys dream about kissing a cheerleader in front of their true crush, just like most girls revengefully imagine kissing the star quarterback in front of theirs, but that usually doesn't happen. I thought Ron suddenly snogging Lavender was just a little too convenient.**

 **I'm trying to show there was at least a little interest in each other before the famous snog scene. And I think Lavender is just the sort of girl boys first notice when they suddenly decide girls may not be full of cooties after all. So I can believe a 13-year-old Ron would gaze at Lavender's legs and try to imagine what she looks like naked. To condemn him for that would be condemning the whole male sex for going through puberty.**

 **And while I'm ranting on the whole Lavender mess, I also took a snipe at the Harmione shippers. Hermione doesn't care when Harry snogs either Cho or Ginny. She sure as hell doesn't attack him with a flock of birds. And while Harry is jealous of Cedric going to the Yule ball with Cho, and later Dean dating Ginny, he doesn't care about Hermione dating either Krum or Cormac. Honestly, these people need to give it up.**

 **Finally, I'm sorry to break off where I did, but I haven't much choice. The conversation between the brothers is too long and important to be part of this chapter. Thanks again for reading.**


	15. Chapter 15

Lions Breed True Chapter 15

Their family had never been much for hugs, except from Mum of course. But she was Mum, so you had to let her hug you. Dad would occasionally give a one-armed sideways hug that always embarrassed everyone.

But hugs among the siblings didn't happen. Even Ginny didn't hug. But Ron was suddenly conscious of an urge to hug his brother. It felt so good to actually see Percy after all this time.

But Ron didn't hug him of course. He couldn't. There was a wall between the brothers built of angry words shouted at their father and doors slammed. The memory of Mum crying when Percy wouldn't let her in his flat hung between them.

That letter, that horrible letter shadowed them both. And finally, Percy not being there even when Dad was gravely hurt. He could have been there. He should have been there. The family needed him. But he hadn't come.

So the two brothers stood on opposite sides of this invisible barrier, and stared at each other.

Percy gave a small twist of his lips that might have been a smile if he had let it grow up, "How are you? I've heard you had it pretty rough."

"Yeah, that delightful woman of yours whipped me, then left me hanging on the post for two hours," answered Ron, bitterly.

Percy winced, "I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..." Whatever Percy shouldn't have done was left unsaid.

"Are you sorry?" challenged Ron. "I almost died, you know. Dad almost died. You weren't there."

"You don't think I wanted to be there? Both times? I did! It killed me to stay away!"

"So why did you?"

"Because they wanted me to be with the family!"

Whatever Ron had expected, this wasn't it. He blinked, "They? Who's they?"

Percy gave a short laugh, "Who isn't they? Everyone's they! And all of the they's are watching us. They're watching me!"

Ron stared dumbfounded at his brother, "Percy, you aren't making any sense. Who's watching you? What's going on?"

Percy took a deep breath, then let it out slowly through his nose, "Sorry. I'll try to calm down. I have to calm down. I haven't much time and I've a lot to explain."

He was silent a moment, gathering his thoughts, and Ron shifted slightly foot to foot, trying not to rush him.

"Alright," said Percy at last. "I really did believe, at least a little bit, that You Know Who had not come back."

"You thought Harry was lying?" questioned Ron.

Percy gave a ghost of a smile, "You thought he lied about entering the tournament."

Ron flinched, "I didn't really, I just..."

"Had backed yourself into a corner, and couldn't think of a graceful way out keeping your pride intact?" suggested Percy.

When Ron nodded, Percy sighed, "Well, you have more of an excuse. You were fourteen. And fourteen-year-old boys are all about not losing face.

"It's a little more pathetic when you're twenty."

Ron's head jerked up at that, "Dad. You know Dad was right."

Percy gave a hollow laugh, "Oh, I think I always knew Dad was right, but I couldn't admit it. Pride, ego, what-have-you, kept me from admitting even to myself I was wrong."

"Dad will forgive you! You know he will! It won't be that hard, really! Okay, the twins will give you a hard time, but that's the twins. I'll stand by you," pleaded Ron.

But Percy was shaking his head, "If it was just my pride keeping me away it would be easy. I'd come crawling back to Dad. I'd let the twins hex me."

"Then why?"

"I told you, that's what they want me to do," replied Percy, wearily.

"And I still don't know who they is," pointed out Ron.

"Take your pick, there are lots of theys. Some are pretty harmless, but others are very dangerous. Fudge is going down, it's only a matter of time until he's replaced. Everyone can see that, including him. He's like a cornered rat, fighting desperately to stay alive.

"And the dragons are gathering. There are all sorts of groups circling around, ready to take over when the time is right. A lot of them are petty opportunists, hoping to seize power. A few are on the side of the angels, hoping to keep things from getting too bad. But others..."

Percy voice trailed off, and he stared distantly into space. Ron waited a beat, then softly prompted, "What about the others?"

Percy turned to stare at his brother, "There are death eaters Ron. There are out-n-out death eaters right in the ministry.

"The ministry is bizarre anymore. There are all these groups circling around, watching each other. Everyone's paranoid. No one trusts anyone. Everyone's trying to figure out who everyone else is loyal to."

Percy laughed, "Well, not Dad of course. Everyone knows who Dad is loyal to. But me? I'm interesting to them, or I was."

Ron frowned, trying to follow his brother, "I can see why they would be curious about you, because you're a Weasley. But they're not interested in you anymore?"

Percy grinned, "I've become the most boring person at the ministry. I put everyone to sleep. I'm so predictable and such a coward that I've become invisible."

"You're not a coward!" protested Ron. "You're a Gryffindor!"

"I'm very careful not to remind anyone of that."

"Percy, I don't understand."

"They were watching me. All these groups. They were trying to get me to be on their team. And they all wanted me to reunite with my family.

"All I heard was, 'Oh Percy, you Weasley's are so close! Even if you don't agree with your family supporting Harry Potter and Dumbledore so much it must hurt not to be with your family. We understand! Go ahead and see them, we won't hold it against you!'"

Ron sucked in a deep breath, "Dad was right. They wanted you to spy on us."

"Of course they did! So I've pretended I hate my family, that I want nothing to do with you. If I don't know anything, I can't tell them anything.

"They watch me you know. I've established a boring set routine, so they no longer believe they have to follow me. I've worked hard at making them think that.

"When Dad was in St Mungos they really kept a close eye on me. I didn't dare try to see you. They didn't watch as close when you were first reported to be so ill, but they did watch. But they've come compliant about me now, so I've risked seeing you.

"But this is the only time I can risk it. And you can't tell me anything. I can't guarantee they wouldn't come up with a way to get information out of me if they suspect I know something."

Ron was horrified, "Percy..."

Percy was shaking his head, "Listen. You have to listen. I've a lot to tell you, and not much time.

"That letter. Fudge wanted me to write that letter."

"What!"

Percy smiled bitterly, "Oh yeah, they had big plans for you. Everyone knows you're Harry's best mate. You were chosen as the one he would miss the most in the second task.

"Fudge was hoping you would turn against Harry. He was trying to convince people that Harry was lying about He Who Must Not Be Named returning, and who better to convince people that Harry was not to be trusted than his former best mate?"

Ron sputtered indignantly.

Percy ignored him and continued, "They were going to feature you on the front page of the Daily Prophet with a big story of you denouncing Harry."

Ron held up his hand, signaling Percy to be quiet, while he thought and remembered certain incidents.

"Umbridge," Ron said slowly. "She kept going on and on about how her door was always open. She would always look at me when she said that. I thought I was imagining it at times.

"And she would always stop me in the halls and chat with me, inviting me to have tea with her.

"I tried to tell Harry and Hermione that she was trying to get us to inform on each other, but they just rolled their eyes and said that was obvious, so I didn't tell them I thought she was targeting me. I was afraid they would mock me. But I was right, she was targeting me."

Percy nodded, "She would have been glad to hear from anyone, but you were the one she wanted most."

Percy shrugged, "We're pure bloods. We're part of the Sacred Twenty-eight. And we're famous blood traitors and supporters of Dumbledore.

"If you came out saying Harry was crazy and you were afraid of him, who wouldn't believe you? You denouncing Harry would have helped Fudge a lot."

Ron took a deep breath, fighting the urge to hex his brother, "And you went along with this? You wrote that letter to help Fudge?"

"I knew it wouldn't work! And that letter was the last straw for me! It's haunted me. It's what finally broke my pride down and made me admit to myself how horribly wrong I'd been."

There was a moment of silence, then Ron said tentatively, "Percy? Are you sure you can't come back?"

"It would ruin all my plans."

"Plans? What plans?"

"Like I've said, I've become invisible. No one notices me. It's useful being invisible. I hear all sorts of things. I'm gathering all sorts of information.

"When this is all over, and I have to believe our side will win, I'll have the goods an all sorts of people. They won't weasel their way out of being punished again. I'll have proof they were willing supporters of You Know Who."

Ron's mouth went dry, "You're spying on them? Right under their noses? What if they suspect you?"

"They might. But this is the best way I can help. I have to try. And I might get important information that I can slip to you."

"Percy," Ron begged, "at least tell Dad. He should know."

"It would kill Dad not to tell Mum," Percy replied. "And what would Mum do if she knew?"

Ron slumped, "You're right. Mum would drag you back into the family."

"I love her, but she can't know the truth. Neither can the twins nor Ginny. None of them are subtle."

"And I am?" asked Ron.

"Oh, you wear your heart on your sleeve, but no one can be as good as you are at chess and not be crafty. I trust you. But you can't tell anyone about me. Sorry, but that includes Harry and Hermione."

"Bill," said Ron desperately. "Let me tell Bill. Someone besides me should know. And Bill can keep secrets."

"Alright," conceded Percy, "talk to Bill. But Ron, what do you mean someone else needs to know?"

When Ron didn't reply Percy paled, "Ron..."

"You know!" burst out Ron. "Everyone has to know, even if they won't say it. Whatever happens, Harry's going to be at the center of it all. And I have to be beside Harry.

"I'm not bright and shiny like all of you. What good am I? But I can take a curse. I can protect Harry."

"Bright and shiny? What are you talking about?" queried a puzzled Percy.

Ron laughed, "That's how Mum describes all of her kids, except me. I'm the dull clumsy troll."

Percy was shaking his head, "Ron, I have no idea what you're talking about, but you're wrong. Don't you know how special you are? You're the strongest and bravest of the lot of us."

"No I'm not."

"Yeah, you are. All the rest of us take the easy path. You take the hard path, and you never give up. Oh, you might get discouraged now and then, and say you're going to give up, but you don't.

"You just catch your breath, then wade back in again and keep trying. You're like a bull dog. Even public ridicule won't stop you.

"You know the bravest thing that happened last year? It wasn't Harry facing that dragon, or even You Know Who. After all, he didn't have any choice in the matter.

"The bravest thing that happened last year was you going to that damn Ball in those bloody robes. Facing a dragon is one thing, facing being a laughingstock is something else.

"I wouldn't have done it. You couldn't have made me do it. The twins and Ginny sure wouldn't have worn those robes, but you did,"

"It would have been better if I hadn't gone. I acted like a complete prat," observed Ron.

"Of course you did! Even the muggles know to act nice you have to feel good about yourself. A lot of feeling good about yourself is being happy about how you look. No one could feel good about themselves in those robes.

"That's why you were the one given those robes you know. Mum knew you were the only one with enough courage to wear them."

Ron shook his head. Percy was nice, but wrong. Ron had been given those robes because if anyone had to wear them, of course it would be the unwanted oaf, not one of the beautiful ones.

"It doesn't matter. I don't matter. If there's going to be a sacrificial pawn it should be me. I'm the most expendable," Ron said.

H never saw it coming. One moment Ron was standing there, and the next second he felt a fist slamming into his jaw and he went flying back into a nearby wall.

Ron slid to the floor, gaping in shock at his brother. Had Percy just slugged him? Who knew Percy had it in him? Ron's jaw felt like it was broken.

Percy was glaring at him, "I ought to beat the crap out of you. Don't you say that! Don't you even think that!

"No one's a sacrifice! And you're definitely not expendable.

"I've no idea what you mean by bright and shiny, but you're not a troll.

"Stop thinking so little of yourself."

Ron felt resentful, "It's what everyone thinks of me."

"And yet, out of everyone in the school, you're the one Harry Potter would miss the most."

Ron rubbed his jaw, thinking over what Percy had said. He hadn't thought of that.

"Percy," he said suddenly. "I don't want to die. I'll try not to. But people will die. People died in the last war. It will happen again. I don't remember Fabian and Gideon, but I have to believe they were as clever as Fred and George. Yet they died."

Percy's eyes were wet, "I do remember them. Why do you think I tried so hard to convince myself Harry was lying?

"I was young. I didn't fully understand it. But I remember the pain. The unbearable pain. The feeling of being helpless.

"There was no resolution. No closure. You just did your best to get through the day. And every time you got through a day, you would think things should be better, but they weren't.

"Our uncles just kept on being dead. They wouldn't stop being dead. The only reward you got for getting through a day of them being dead was another day of them being dead.

"I don't think I can face that again Ron. Losing you, losing any of you, would destroy me."

"Stop thinking so little of yourself," Ron quoted back to him. "You're stronger than you know. You'll survive."

Percy smiled at him, "I'll work on believing better of myself if you will."

"It's a deal."

"I have to go. Ron, if we run into each other, I can't act friendly, I have to act aloof."

Ron nodded, "I understand."

That denied hug happened then, the two brothers clinging to each other.

"You're still my favorite brother," Percy choked out. "Take care of yourself."

"Back at you."

They broke apart and smiled at each other. Percy picked up a newspaper, "Portkey. It's about to leave."

The newspaper started to glow blue and Ron just had time to yell out, "Hey, know why seers are noisy lovers? Because they have crystal balls!"

He had a brief glimpse of Percy laughing, then he was gone.

 **When I first read OotP, it was obvious that Umbridge was there to spy on the students and take over the school. But with Percy's letter, I was convinced that Ron would be a target for just the reasons I listed.**

 **Since I also expected Ron to be whipped, I thought it would all tie in. I thought Harry would find out Umbridge had been trying to convince Ron to turn on him, and since Harry isn't exactly rational during fifth year, he would lash out at Ron.**

 **I thought Ron would do something stupid to show Harry he was loyal, and would be whipped as a result.**

 **This basic plot was what I had in mind when I first started this story. I actually began the story at the beginning of OotP at first, but then I found myself going over old ground way too much.**

 **So I decided to change it.**

 **I also struggled with a direct reason why Umbridge would whip Ron. I felt like she had to have a valid excuse and not just frustration that he was loyal to Harry. For a long time I played with Montague being shoved into the Vanishing Cabinet by the twins.**

 **I had a very dramatic scene where Ron's frogmarched into Umbridge's office, and she tells him Montague said 'Weasley' when asked who shoved him into the Vanishing Cabinet.**

 **Since the twins had already left school, that meant one of the remaining Weasley's had to be whipped. Then Umbridge showed Ron the 'Permission for a Whipping' form with the last name of Weasley on it, saying it was his choice what the first name would be.**

 **Ron's terrified, but he immediately accepts responsibility to spare Ginny. I liked it, but it didn't follow alchemy. Ron HAD to be whipped for Harry's sake. So damn it, I couldn't go with that.**

 **I was also always questioning just how much Percy believed in Fudge, or how much was hurt pride that made him act like he did.**

 **Over a LOT of time, this story slowly evolved to what I've written. As always, I thank anyone for reading. Feedback is always welcomed.**


	16. Chapter 16

Lions Breed True Chapter 16

 **Before I get started, I'm going to attempt fill a request I got regarding Harry and Ginny. Feel free to skip this, but if you're interested in how Rowling came up with the entire Harry Potter series, you might want to read it.**

 **The Harry Potter books are a celebration of everything British. Rowling put the main ingredient of classical British literature (she's partial to Dickens and Austin) into a witches cauldron, seasoned it well with British folktales and legends (heavy on King Arthur), and added British history (favoring WW2).**

 **But the heart of the books is alchemy, which takes us right back to classical literature. I know I've mentioned that Harry is being purified, but I'm going to explain a little more here.**

 **It's only been in roughly the last one hundred years that people have discredited alchemy, but for centuries everyone excepted it as valid just as people now accept DNA as valid.**

 **Alchemy is purification. You take something and filter out the worse or baser elements, and are left with the best or 'golden' elements. There are seven steps to alchemy. Harry goes through a step in each book, until at the end of DH he has been transformed into the hero he needs to be.**

 **But here's an interesting twist; Tom Riddle does the reverse! In creating the horcruxes he peels off the best, most human elements of himself. When he creates the final horcrux (Harry), he is attempting to do the ultimate evil: take the life of an innocent babe.**

 **It is no accident the Voldemort resembles a snake. Our most ancient, primitive part of ourselves is called our reptilian self. This part of ourselves (that all humans have) has no emotions and is only concerned with basic survival.**

 **Now, moving on to the Weasley's. I suppose everyone knows they're named for weasels. The English Weasel is small and reddish brown. They live in burrows. They are very fierce and brave, and will attack in revenge if any one of their family is injured.**

 **In mythology, they are one of the few animals that can kill a basilisk.**

 **Molly's name is short for mollycoddling. Bill, Charlie, and the twins are named for British Royalty. Arthur, Percy, Ron and Ginny's names come from the tales of King Arthur. I don't need to explain Arthur, and I've already explained Ron and Ginny.**

 **Percival was raised by his widowed mother, and against her wishes, became a Knight of the Round Table. He's often called Percival the Fool because he saw the Holy Grail without realizing what it was.**

 **In another trio, he was one of the Grail Knights along with Galahad and Bors.**

 **But here's what's interesting: his lady love was Blanchefleur, or Fleur for short (and NO, I'm not suggesting anything ever happens between Percy and Fleur).**

 **Now we came to Ginny. Her name comes from Guinevere, and the most important thing you need to know about Guinevere is she's a typical Princess. She just gets herself in all sorts of trouble and constantly needs to be rescued.**

 **Now, forget about Guinevere and think about two other princesses that also get into trouble and need rescued; Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.**

 **Ginny, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty are all beautiful and good and surrounded by people who love them and are anxious to protect them. But nevertheless, all three maidens are targeted by Evil, and Evil is very sly and sneaks around the would-be-protectors.**

 **All three fair maidens innocently step into Evil's trap: Snow White accepts the poisoned apple, Sleeping Beauty is lured to the poisoned spindle, and Ginny is possessed by the evil-diary-horcrux thingy.**

 **All three princesses fall into a deathlike sleep that will end with their real death unless some obliging hero saves the day. And he does! Just in the nick of time our gallant hero races up on his trusty steed (or in Harry's case, walks on his own trusty two feet), slays the dragon (or a basilisk and an evil-diary-horcrux-thingy) and saves the fair maiden!**

 **Of course, the princess wakes up to find the bloodied, but victorious hero and simply swoons with gratitude and admiration. Naturally the hero wins the fair maiden's heart and hand.**

 **See? Harry and Ginny are just your basic fairy-tale couple. Since this is already way too long, I'll explain a little about history in the next chapter.**

Ron sat in the astronomy tower, brooding. He wished he could have his Clean Sweep back for a quick fly. Flying was relaxing and a terrific way to clear your head. He even briefly considered sneaking a fly on Buckbeak, but was afraid of getting Hagrid into trouble.

The tower was the best he could do.

He was happy he had seen and talked to Percy, truly he was. But, he also wished Percy hadn't told him everything. Ron knew it was selfish of him, but Ron was eager to grab and hold on to any small comfort he could find, and one small comfort he had relished for months that Percy, at least, was safe.

It was a bitter comfort, since it meant that Percy was estranged from the family and Ron was deprived of Percy's company, but still it was nice to think he didn't have to worry about Percy.

Now Ron knew that comfort was an illusion, and Percy zipped right to the top of the list of people he had to worry about. Maybe even ahead of Harry. Harry, after all, had companions. Percy was by himself, with no one but Ron knowing the truth.

Ron's heart ached for Percy, all alone and knowing pretty much everyone despised him. Only Ron himself knew the truth and he was eager to share the burden with Bill. Whether Bill wanted the burden was beside the point; it was too heavy for Ron alone and he needed his big brother to share the load.

Besides, what if the worst happened to both him and Percy? Someone had to know the truth to honor Percy's name and sacrifice. The idea of Percy forever being branded a traitor to the cause was unthinkable.

Ron had known for some time that pretty much everyone he loved and cared about was in danger. But for the first time he acknowledged that probably someone he loved and cared about was going to die.

Not that he hadn't known it before, but before it had all been rather abstract.

But a vision of a bright meadow filled with people Ron knew were dead made it very real. For the first time he admitted to himself that chances were good that someone was going to cross over and enter that bright meadow. Worse, he admitted that he had absolutely no control over who that someone was going to be. Death would take whoever death decided to take.

It was the twins of course who haunted him. He had grown up in the shadow of twins, both alive and dead. The dead uncles were constantly mourned on the Prewitt side of the family. And it was because of these dead uncles that Ron's twin brothers were able to get away with so much.

Mum just couldn't bear to punish them. Nor did she ever want to punish her longed for daughter. Ron, being neither a twin nor a girl, had no such protection. At best she had ignored Ron, at worse she was too harsh with him. Even as a small child Ron knew his lot in life wasn't fair.

It was one of the things that had united him and Percy. Percy had responded by trying to be the perfect child. Ron simply couldn't take that route. Not only had Percy already claimed it, it was not who Ron was.

He had responded by challenging and trying to keep up with the twins, but it was futile. He was outnumbered, outclassed, out everything. He couldn't compete and seldom won. And even the few times he thought he had bested the twins they made sure he regretted it.

 _Eight-year-old Ronnie was getting very good at chess, and knew it. He bragged about it, because it was one of the few things he could brag about. The twins grew tired of his boosting, and mocked him, saying he wasn't that good._

" _I bet I can beat you!" Ronnie_ _had shot back._

" _Sure," Fred replied. "What are you betting?"_

 _Ronnie hesitated, "I haven't any money."_

" _How about chores?" suggested George. "We win, you do our chores for a week. You win, we do your chores for a week."_

" _And we get to play together against you," added Fred._

 _Ronnie knew something wasn't right about this bet, but he was going to accept anyway when Grandpa Weasley (who wasn't nearly as charmed by the twins as all the Prewitts were) protested, "That's not a fair bet._

" _There are two of you, so if Ronnie loses he'll have double the amount of chores. But if he wins, you'll each have only half the amount of chores since you can split them. To make it fair, you should have to do two weeks of Ronnie's chores to him doing one week of yours."_

 _Ronnie could tell by the sour looks on Fred and George's faces that they had already realized this, but was hoping he wouldn't figure it out._

 _They protested at first, but Grandpa Weasley laughed and said, "You must be afraid of your little brother."_

 _That settled that of course, and the bet was made. They didn't stand a chance. Ronnie easily mated them._ _Gleefully, he reminded them that they were to do his chores for the next two weeks._

 _He relished the thought of those glorious two weeks at first, but long before they were over he hated every minute of them. The twins, furious, struck back, and hit Ronnie at his weak point._

" _You think you're so clever, don't you?" taunted Fred. "Well, you should know Mum never wanted you. When you were born she cried because you were such an ugly baby, and not a girl._

" _She begged Dad to drown you in the pond, but Dad was too softhearted. Pity, because now we're all stuck with such a nasty little troll in the family."_

 _Ronnie felt tears come to his eyes, and blinked rapidly to keep them from falling, "That's not true," he protested weakly, "Mum wants me." Still, he wasn't sure Mum wanted him. Ronnie remembered all too clearly that he was not bright and shiny._

" _No she doesn't," sneered Fred. "When Dad couldn't bring himself to drown you she asked Bill and Charlie to do it._

" _But Dad was worried they would be arrested, and wouldn't let them. Isn't that right, George?"_

 _George nodded coldly, and Ronnie burst into tears. Then the twins mocked him for crying. Finally Ronnie fled to his room. And so it went the whole two weeks. Even when Ronnie tried to stay away from the twins, they hunted him down to taunt him._

 _Finally Ronnie couldn't take it any more and screamed, "I wish you were dead like our uncles!" And wouldn't you know it, Mum was nearby and heard that. The next thing Ronnie knew he was face down on Mum and Dad's bed for a painful session with the strap._

Ron worried now that fate was going to punish him and grant his wish. He really couldn't imagine it. The twins were just too vivid to die.

Ron found himself repeating the same prayer that he had been saying for months, "If someone has to die, let it be me. Please, let it be me."

"What let be you?"

Ron jumped and turned to find Harry looking at him oddly.

"Harry, you gave me a fright. What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, of course. Well, I knew you were here, I used the map. What's going on? You see Madame Pomfrey, then disappear for hours."

"I was just wool gathering, sorry," explained Ron.

"Madame Pomfrey said you got an owl, then left in a hurry. Form her description, it sounded like Hermes," questioned Harry.

Ron went silent. He couldn't lie to Harry, but he also couldn't confide in him. Harry evidently realized this.

"You don't have to tell me, it's none of my business."

"Don't ask," begged Ron. "I swear, it truly doesn't concern you. It's just something between my brother and me."

Harry shrugged, "Alright, I won't ask. But Ron, will you please make peace with Hermione? We're about to take our OWL's, she's stressed out, and this fight with you isn't helping.

"I swear, she's about to rip her hair out."

"Well, she has a lot to spare," quipped Ron, then winced at his own jest. He liked Hermione's hair.

"Fine, I'll talk to her, but I've no idea what to say. Do you know where she is?"

"Where do you think?" laughed Harry.

Ron sighed, "The library, of course."

And so she was. Ron found her at her usual table, nose buried in a book. Shifting foot to foot, Ron tried to get her attention while avoiding the attention of Madame Pince.

"Hermione," he hissed.

"Go away, I'm not talking to you," Hermione hissed back.

"Yeah you are, you just did. Come on Hermione, please? I want to say I'm sorry."

She shot him a look, "For what?"

"Um, I'm not sure," Ron admitted. "For whatever made you angry. Maybe because I use to try to look up Lavender's skirts?

"Alright, I admit I shouldn't have done that. But I was thirteen then, and just starting to realize that maybe girls weren't so bad after all.

"Not that I ever thought you were bad," Ron added hastily. Merlin! Why couldn't he have a slick tongue like his brothers?

Hermione was regarding him oddly, "I take it you didn't try to look up my skirts back then?"

"No!" gasped Ron. "I mean, that wouldn't have been respectful." He wasn't lying. Ron hadn't tried to look up Hermione's skirts at thirteen. No need to tell he was desperately trying to look up her skirts at sixteen.

Hermione's lips twitched, "So you didn't think to look up my skirts because you respect me? Do you not respect Lavender?"

Ron squirmed, "I respect her, yeah. But she's not important to me like you are."

Hermione's lips parted slightly, and she gazed at him somewhat surprised, "I'm important to you?"

Ron frowned, "What do you mean? You know you're important to me. You're one of the most important people in my life.

"How can you not know that?"

It was Hermione's turn to squirm, "Thanks. You're important to me as well. I'm sorry..."

But here she was interrupted by an irate Madame Pince, "Out of my library you two! This is a place to study, not chat!"

A laughing Ron and an embarrassed Hermione fled.

"Ron!" Hermione smacked him on the arm, "Stop laughing!"

"I bet that's the first time you've ever been evicted from the library," grinned Ron.

"Yes it is, and it's nothing to be proud of!"

"Oh come on Hermione, it's funny. Tell you what, you can help me review for the OWL's and we'll both see how well prepared we are."

"You can do your own reviewing," sniffed Hermione.

"Please?" begged Ron. "It will be more fun if we do it together."

Hermione relented, "Alright. But we are really going to review. Not waste time joking around."

"Promise," said Ron, solemnly. "Let's go to the common room, shall we? Harry might want to join too."

As they walked back to Gryffindor, Hermione struggled with herself, then finally said, "Ron? I'm sorry I lost my temper. It's none of my business if you fancy Lavender.

"It's just...well, she gets on my nerves because she's constantly talking about you, and asking me questions about you. "

Ron was surprised, "She is? Wow. I don't know what to say. No one's ever fancied me before."

An agitated Hermione exclaimed, "You keep saying that! Why do you keep insisting no one's ever fancied you before?"

"Because no one ever has. Why would they? I'm not good looking, or clever, or charming like my brothers. I'm certainly not a hero like Harry. Why would anyone notice me?"

Hermione cheeks were pink, "You're not ugly, so stop saying you are. As for not being clever, you're very smart, but you're also, well. . . simple? No, straightforward is the word I want.

"You're not devious or sneaky Ron. Your brothers are devious, or at least the twins are. But you're open and frank.

"As for you not being a hero, you were whipped to protect everyone. So you are heroic!"

Ron blinked, a little awed by this new vision of himself, I, um, thanks."

Hermione giggled, "Very articulate."

"Well, I still have a slow tongue in my mouth."

They both laughed, and Ron suddenly felt better and lighter. He was able to dismiss his earlier worries. Everyone was still alive, he had spent some time with Percy, and now knew he and Percy were on the same side.

Why worry about something that might not happen? Maybe, just maybe, they would all be lucky.


	17. Chapter 17

Lions Breed True Chapter 17

 **Thanks again for everyone reading, following and reviewing this story, you're all awesome. As promised, I'm going to cover how the history of WW2 is incorporated into HP first. But beware, I'm climbing on my soapbox once again.**

 **I really can't help it. Some of the fan fiction stories are so amazing ignorant that's it absolutely appalling.**

 **I have no respect for Dramione, or any story that excuses any of the death eaters (not all of these are Dramione, but I'm going to call them Dramione for short).**

 **Let's be honest, all Dramione is by definition shallow, childish, and pathetic. It has to be. There's no intelligent, mature way to pair this couple, so these writers are reduced to silly, ridiculous plots that the average 10-year-old couldn't believe.**

 **But one of the most insidious plot devices is misusing the tired, trite 'might makes right' saying. Basically the plot goes something like this: some incident (usually traumatic) forces Hermione to have an epiphany and realize the Voldemort and his followers are no worse than Dumbledore and his followers.**

 **These writers evidently believe they're being sophisticated and wave the 'might makes right' banner like that excuses everything Voldemort did. Since a lot of HP fans are young, I'll explain that what 'might makes right' means is that the winners of a war write the history of the war, so they always make themselves look noble and the losers look horrible.**

 **However, if you look at most wars objectively, both sides are about equal. This old saying is actually true, which is why it's an old saying. But if there's one war that's an exception to this rule, if there's one war where you had good against evil, light against dark, and the angels against the demons, it HAS to be WW2.**

 **You have to be really dedicated to having the freaking trains running on time to find anything positive to say about Fascist Italy, Imperial Japan, and Nazi Germany. More people were murdered during the 1930's and 1940's then any other time in history.**

 **Most of these people were victims of Japan and Germany. These were not soldiers fighting on a battlefield. These were civilians: mostly women, children and the elderly. Most of them were not collateral victims and died from conditions caused by war, but were direct victims.**

 **They were forced into slave labor, and were worked to death, starved to death, beaten to death and tortured. They were set on fire and burned to death. They were hanged, shot, gassed, stabbed and used in vile experiments.**

 **Concentration camps were industrial factories built to turn live bodies into dead bodies. They were grimly efficient. The numbers are so staggering, that we will never know exactly how many died. At least 50 million civilians were murdered during WW2, probably more. (Total dead for WW2 is between 60 to 80 million.)**

 **The Axis countries were ruled by ideology. They believed they were a superior race fulfilling their destiny of conquering and ruling the world. They thought the biggest threat to them was having their superior blood tainted by inferior blood.**

 **So they set out to murder everyone who was inferior. Both Japanese and German soldiers often raped the women, then slit their throats. They raped the women for obvious reasons, and then murdered them so be sure they hadn't fathered a child with an inferior being.**

 **This was the fate that Bellatrix intended for Hermione. Draco knew this and still helped his aunt. This is the person the Dramione writers are attempting to defend. (And while I'm on the subject, Hermione would NEVER be an acceptable mate for anyone who was a death eater. She is a Jew to a Nazi.)**

 **But it doesn't stop there. These same writers equate Dumbledore to Voldemort. Dumbledore is Winston Churchill as much as he is Merlin. Churchill spent most of the 1930's screaming about the danger of Hitler (just as Dumbledore kept trying to warn that Voldemort might come back).**

 **No one wanted to hear it, least of all Chamberlain, who insisted Hitler was no threat. Fudge is based on Chamberlain, being willfully blind.**

 **Umbridge is sort of the Vichy government, and of course the both the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army are based on underground resistant groups that most occupied countries had. Potterwatch is a take on the way the underground resistant groups used coded messages over the radio.**

 **The Inquisitional Squad is the Nazi Youth Group.**

 **Voldemort in DH begging the pure bloods to surrender to him is Hitler insisting Britain submit to him before the Battle of Britain.**

 **In conclusion, defending death eaters is defending the Axis countries of WW2. Equating Dumbledore to Voldemort is claiming Churchill was no better than Hitler. Anyone who would do so has my utter contempt. That is all they deserve from anyone.**

They were not going to be lucky. Ron didn't truly expect them to be, he had simply hoped they would be.

First there was the nightmare of the OWL's. As if the tests weren't bad enough, they also witnessed McGonagall being attacked when she tried to defend Hagrid. Harry's meltdown during the History of Magic OWL was just more added tension. Not the Ron had high expectations for his History of Magic OWL to begin with, but worrying about Harry certainly didn't help.

And although Ron kept it strictly to himself, he couldn't help feeling a sliver of resentment that Harry was the only one asked to produce a Patronus. Most of the DA, including Ron, could produce one as well. Ron told himself firmly that it was thanks to Harry they could do this, so Harry deserved the extra credit.

But just when Ron was convinced they could finally relax a bit, Harry suddenly freaked out, insisting Sirius was in danger. Remembering that Harry had saved his own father's life, Ron couldn't argue with him.

Still, everything felt rushed and ill-planned, and of course it was. Ron wasn't truly surprised when everything fell through, and six of them were trapped in Umbridge's office.

Ron wasn't sure who he was most scared for and wanted to protect the most: Harry, Hermione or Ginny. For that matter, he was really hoping he could think of some way to keep Luna and Neville safe.

That was the trouble with caring about people. Once you cared about them they some how belonged to you and you were obligated to look out for them. Ron wasn't sure exactly when Neville and Luna had joined the list of people he was responsible for, but some how they had.

He had no idea what Hermione had planned when she convinced Umbridge to take her and Harry out of her office, but Ron felt almost weak with relief that she had saved Harry from being Crucio'd.

He knew Harry had suffered it before, and that was bad enough, but Ron wasn't sure he could endure watching it. But without Umbridge their chances of escaping went up. And they were brilliant! The remaining members of the DA couldn't have acted better if they had planned it.

In fact, Ron ruefully acknowledged if they had tried to plan it nothing would have gone so smoothly.

As soon as Umbridge marched Harry and Hermione out of her office Warrington's grip relaxed enough that Ron was able to elbow him in the stomach. Unfortunately, Warrington punched Ron's mouth while he was pulling his gag off, but Ron still managed to grab his wand and stun the git.

Ginny had sprung into action at the same time, slamming the back of her head into her captor's face, and snatching up her wand. Bultrode clawed at Ginny, but Ron threw a stunner at the Slytherin witch. Meanwhile, Ginny stunned her captor than threw her frightening Bat Bogey Hex at Malfoy.

Luna had gone completely limp, and sliding to the floor had aimed a Disarming Charm up at her captor. Crabbe, losing all common sense (if he had any to begin with), had totally let go of Neville to try to grab his own wand. Neville tried to stop him from getting his wand, and they traded punches until Neville slammed him with a beautiful Impediment Jinx.

The four of them grinned at each other, feeling united and pleased with themselves. Ron grabbed Harry and Hermione's wands, then they set out hoping to find a way to free Harry and Hermione from Umbridge. What they would do afterward Ron refused to speculate on; Harry was the boss, Ron was just his second-in-command.

"They went toward the Forbidden Forest," observed Ron, "so let's go."

"Um," asked Neville, nervously, "are we going to actually attack Umbridge?"

"I hope so," declared Ginny, with relish. "I owe that witch."

"Doesn't Ron owe her more?" questioned Luna.

Ron and Ginny exchanged glances.

"No," said Ron, decisively, "I think Ginny had it worse then me."

His sister shot him a surprised but thankful look, and they pushed on. As it turned out, no one had to hex Umbridge. Harry and Hermione had managed to rid themselves of her on their own.

Ron completely sympathized with Harry's efforts to leave Ginny, Luna and Neville behind, but he knew all along it wouldn't work. Ron even tried, without much hope and no success, to order Ginny to stay behind, but wasn't surprised when that broom didn't fly.

When Luna suggested flying to London on thestrals, Ron had his confirmation of what he had long suspected: the girl needed a bed right beside Lockhart. But Harry went along with it, and Ron had to go along with Harry. Except Ron couldn't see the bloody things.

He watched in open-mouthed astonishment as Harry, Luna and Neville evidently mounted the beasts. Well, Ron knew they were on the thestrals, but it looked like the three of them were suspended in air, astride nothing.

Ron was happy to see Ginny and Hermione looked as freaked out as he felt. When Harry shortly told them to get on Ron had to bite his tongue to keep from suggesting they go back and murder Malfoy just so they could see the damn things.

Luna kindly hopped off to help them, and Ron, remembering his Mum had tried to raise him to be a gentleman, gave the girls a leg up. It was awkward, since neither Ginny nor Hermione could see the thestrals any more than he could, but eventually they all were mounted.

It was bizarre. Ron could feel the thestral between his legs and under his bum, but looking down, all he saw was the ground. Then the thing started moving, and Ron could feel powerful wings suddenly start flapping and they were airborne.

Ron clutched the mane, terrified. He knew he wasn't really going to go plunging down to the ground, but he couldn't convince himself of that. He couldn't see anything holding him or his five friends up, and his eyes kept insisting they were all going to fall.

Harry, Neville and Luna were in the lead. Well, they could see the beasts. Ginny, Ron noted, was starting to relax and was catching up to the others. Ron turned to check on Hermione, and cursed himself for not doing so earlier.

Hermione looked frozen with terror. She was completely white, and was visibly shaking. Ron tried to maneuver as close to her as possible.

"Hermione!" he called to her. "Are you alright? Come on, talk to me."

She turned her face towards him and gasped, "Oh Ron, this is awful. I hate it. I keep telling myself we're all perfectly safe, but I can't convince myself of that."

"I know," Ron sympathized. "I keep reassuring myself I'm not really going to fall, but my eyes don't believe it for a minute."

"That's it! We rely on our eyes so much it's hard to ignore the message they send!"

"So close your eyes, the thestral will follow the others."

"I've tried that, but it makes it worse. I feel like I'm just out here by myself."

Ron hesitated, trying to think of a solution. "How about I talk to you? You can close your eyes, but still hear my voice, so you'll know you're not alone."

Hermione flashed him a grateful look, "Oh thank you! I'm sure that will work! But could you talk about something other than Quidditch or chess?"

"Well, you just eliminated my best two topics!" complained Ron.

Hermione laughed and closed her eyes, "I'm sure you can think of something to talk about."

Both flattered and shaken by her confidence in him, Ron began babbling, "Well, there's a blanket of clouds underneath us. That's good, don't you think? Otherwise some stargazing muggle might think they were mad if they saw us flying through the air on nothing."

Encouraged by Hermione's giggle, Ron went on, "Twilight is coming and the Milky-Way is starting to blaze overhead. I can see Cygnus with Deneb. Bloody hell! Now my brain comes up with the names. Why couldn't it do this when we were taking our Astronomy OWL?"

"Well, that OWL was pretty well doomed anyway," consoled Hermione.

"I still bet you did brilliant though," replied Ron. "Oh well, I think I passed anyway."

Slowly, but steadily, the night flight took on a strange, dreamlike interlude for the couple. Ron talked as he had seldom talked before, and Hermione listened intently. The other four were far enough ahead to be oblivious to Ron's words, which was just as well.

Hermione's fear eased listening to the hypnotic spell of Ron's words, as he opened to her as he never had anyone else, even Harry. He told her so much: about dreams and hopes, and how frustrating it was to be the youngest of six boys.

Ron talked about always having second-hand everything, and watching as sibling after sibling seemed to be put first, and wondering if he was ever going to have a turn to be first.

He talked about growing up in the shadow of the war, and how everyone was still afraid of death eaters.

He told her that Ginny was so precious to the Weasley's not only because she was the youngest and the only girl, but because she had almost died at the tender age of three.

He described that terse, frightening week when Ginny and Mum had been at St Mungo's, and Uncle Bilius had been caring for them. Ron told how the twins had mocked him when he pleaded for their help, but Percy had stepped up and taught him to be a 'big boy'.

Ron was careful to steer clear of explaining about the secret pack between him and Percy, but he did tell how tender Percy was towards him during that fearful time.

He talked about Ginny's hand staying on 'mortal peril', and playing with pretend Ginny. He told about how Percy had patiently played with him and even held him on broom rides around the Burrow.

Ron admitted how he had pretended to be Charlie, and expressed his regret that of all his brothers, Charlie was the one he knew the least.

He told Hermione had he had only connected with Bill when he was in Egypt, and they both shared their father's trait of being able to sense dark magic.

Then Ron described how he had first discovered that trait when he was ten. He told her about a gentle June day when he and his sister found a meadow filled with flowers, and a ruined house filled with black magic.

Ron described his and Ginny's fear of having to face their mother afterward, and how well founded that fear was when they were punished.

"I think it was a week before I could sit easy again," Ron mournfully noted. "Worse, it was a full month before I was allowed my pudding again!"

"I can't believe you were spanked!" exclaimed Hermione. "I've never been spanked. My parents don't believe in it."

"Neither do the Dursley's, believe it or not. Harry's never been spanked either. Still, I'd take a strapping over being locked in a dingy cupboard for days on end," observed Ron.

"Would you really? Why?" wondered Hermione.

"Well, spankings hurt, but then they're over with, yeah? Can you imagine being locked in a room by yourself for weeks? Time would stand still. I would hate that. I think I would go mental."

Hermione was silent for a moment, "You might be right. Being locked up like that would be horrible. Poor Harry. Still, I hope you weren't spanked very often."

"More than I care to admit," laughed Ron.

"Well then the twins must have been spanked a lot!" said Hermione, indignantly.

"It depended on which parent was angry at them. Dad would really let them have it. But they could usually charm their way out of trouble with Mum," Ron hesitated. "See, with Mum, well, they remind her of her twin brothers, so she can never get really angry at them."

"They died, didn't they? In the war?" asked Hermione, gently.

"Yeah, and all I've ever heard is how Fred and George are just like Fabian and Gideon. The Prewitts dote on Fred and George because of that," answered Ron.

"That's kind of sad," noted Hermione. "Maybe Fred and George just want to be themselves, and liked for themselves, and not for some dead uncles."

Ron was startled, "I never thought of that. I was always a little jealous of them because I know Mum worries about them so much. I think she believes history will repeat itself. The worse spanking I ever got was when I once wished them dead."

"What! Why would you do that?"

So Ron painfully told her about the bet he and the twins had made, and how the taste of victory had turned to ashes with their constant taunting.

"What terrible things for them to say! No wonder you were hateful back. Why weren't they punished?"

"They were much more clever than me, and Mum never heard them," answered Ron.

"Ron, you know what they said isn't true, don't you?" asked Hermione, anxiously, "They were only two years old when you were born, so they can't remember your birth. There's no way your mother would never want any baby to be drowned. Certainly not her own."

"Yeah, but I know Mum was disappointed when I was another boy," confessed Ron. "I heard her say so. And I know I'm a disappointment to her in general, because I'm not bright and shiny like everyone else."

There was a moment of silence, then Hermione asked, "Bright and shiny? What are you talking about?"

Percy had asked that same question, Ron remembered. And some how, without really meaning to, Ron found himself telling Hermione his deepest secret. He told her about trying to steal a biscuit, and overhearing that he was the clumsy changeling in a family that was otherwise beautiful.

Then Ron heard himself, and realized how pathetic he sounded. He was loved and taken care of. Compared to Harry, he had it great. So what if Ron wasn't as important to his parents as the rest of his siblings? He still was important to them.

Ashamed, Ron glanced at Hermione hoping she wasn't disgusted with him. Her eyes were wide open, and she was staring at Ron with a shocked look on her face.

Ron's heart dropped. Convinced that Hermione found him despicable, Ron was trying to think of something to say, when Hermione suddenly gasped, "The Ugly Duckling!."

Ron frowned, "No, I'm the ugly changeling, not duckling."

Hermione shook her head impatiently, "Hans Christian Anderson."

Ron blinked, totally confused. Who in the bloody hell was Hans Christian Anderson, and why would Hermione suddenly blurt out his name?

"I don't think I know him," Ron said, cautiously. "Does he go to Hogwarts?"

"No," Hermione giggled. "He's dead. He was a Danish writer, and he was most famous for his fairy tales. My favorite fairy tale as a child was one he wrote called 'The Ugly Duckling'.

"When this is all over I'm going to read it to you, because if there was ever a beautiful swan raised by a family of ducks, you're it."

Ron eyed her, thoroughly bewildered. He wondered if Hermione was going to need a bed next to Luna and Lockhart.

Hermione laughed, "Oh I know I'm not making any sense to you, but you'll understand after I read you the story."

Hermione turned serious, "Ron, thank you. Thank you for helping me when I was so afraid, and thank you for opening up to me.

"I wish we had more time to talk, but we don't. We're there."


	18. Chapter 18

Lion's Breed True Chapter 18

 **I wasn't going to have any author's notes this time, but Izaranna's review changed my mind. First, I appreciate the review, and you do raise some interesting questions. Everyone is a product of their childhood, and if Draco was raised to believe muggles were inferior, that's not exactly his fault.**

 **But my original rant was against fanfiction writers who excuse the death eaters. There are stories out there that make Voldemort a nice guy. There are even stories that have him liking and valuing Hermione. (Sure, Hitler would have just adored sweet little Anne Frank too.) There are also stories where Draco's parents approve of Hermione and want her as a daughter-in-law.**

 **These stories usually portray Dumbledore and his followers as more evil than Voldemort. This is what I was ranting against. I don't know if these authors truly believe what they write, or if they are so smitten with Draco that they are desperately trying to validate his actions.**

 **I strongly suspect most of the time they are trying to exonerate Draco by any means possible. In my rant I was pointing out that defending Draco by justifying Voldemort is taking Dramione to a new low. Merlin knows, trying to absolve Draco when he almost murdered two people and let death eaters into his school is bad enough; but trying to absolve all death eaters is beyond the pale.**

 **(And while I do appreciate that condemning murder is also ideology, the fact remands that almost every society in recorded history has condemned murder 'with malice aforethought'. Killing someone in the heat of the moment usually isn't judged as harshly as deliberately plotting to take someone's life. Draco didn't succeed, but he did plan murder 'with malice aforethought'. I do not apologize for judging him for that.)**

 **The idea that these misguided, immature writers are so besotted with Draco that they can twist and turn logic to the degree they do is alarming. Rowling herself has said she's unnerved by these writers.**

 **Finally, in my original rant I said the Axis powers were RULED by ideology. Sorry, but I firmly believe being completely controlled by any ideology is never good.**

 **To illustrate my point, I'll take the Axis powers out of it and turn to my own country, the United States. Like most Americans, I'm a capitalist.**

 **Capitalism works, and I believe in it, but I'm not a pure capitalist, nor are most Americans. For example, when I buy a pound of beef, I'm reasonably sure it's a pound of beef and is safe to eat. But in unregulated capitalism, it might be 14 ounces of tainted horse meat. And it would be my problem if it was.**

 **If the US was RULED by capitalism, anything, including dangerous fraud would be acceptable in making money. If people died eating tainted horse meat, too bad. Most Americans don't accept this, because we're not ruled by ideology.**

 **If you're so devoted to an ideology that you can ignore common decency and justify any action in supporting this ideology, you're probably not mentally stable (even if you are legally sane). Hitler and his followers were not mentally stable. Ditto Voldemort and his followers.**

If ever there was a doorway that was 'betwixt and between', this was it. In fact, Ron wondered if Grandma's Weasley's fear of doorways stemmed from seeing this one at some point.

For the first time Ron wondered exactly where the ability to sense dark magic originated from. He and Bill had inherited it from Dad, but had Grandma Weasley been the one who handed it down to Dad?

Wherever his sensitivity came from, it was throwing warning signals against this archway big time. Ron was desperate to get the other five away from it. Hermione, he was pleased to notice, seemed to dislike the strange arch as much as he did.

In contrast, Harry acted enthralled by it. He seemed drawn to the doorway, and for a second Ron feared Harry was going to walk through it. Ron had no clue just why this was such a bad idea, but he knew it was.

Ron hovered around the arch, biting his tongue to keep from ordering everyone to stay from it. If he tried that, Ron was reasonably certain Harry or Ginny, or possibly both Harry and Ginny, would immediately laugh at him and purposely walk through it.

In any case, Hermione was fussing enough about leaving this room without him chiming in. Besides, everyone would probably listen to Hermione. Ron was gloomily aware that no one respected his opinion, so what was the point of expressing himself?

Finally, he and Hermione managed to corral the others into leaving.

Of course, that meant going back out into that weird chamber where the doors all spun around. Was this whole place mental? It seemed like it. Why would anyone keep brains? And what was the point of an arch sitting on a dais in the middle of an amphitheater?

Ron was certain the locked door was the one they needed, until Hermione pointed out that in Harry's dream he could open the door. The fact that was logical was scary. They were here based solely on Harry's dream.

But a similar dream of Harry's had saved Dad's life. Harry's dreams couldn't be discounted. Ron just wished Harry's dream had been a little more specific, so they had some idea of what they were walking into.

Finally, Harry recognized the room they were looking for. Of course, this room was bizarre as well. Just how many clocks would anyone need? Was someone that obsessed with being on time? Although Ron had to admit the bell jar thing was sort of cool, if slightly unsettling.

At last they were in the cavernous cold chamber filled with orbs where Harry was certain Sirius was held prisoner. Ron was just as certain Sirius wasn't there, or else was already dead. It wasn't any sense of dark magic at work here, but rather cold hard logic.

Quite simply, it was all too easy. If You Know Who had Sirius here for questioning, he wasn't alone. Other death eaters would be with him, including guards. But there were no guards. Even the guard that should have been on duty for the Ministry was absent.

Ron hadn't been to the Ministry of Magic that often, but his father had worked there for years. Ron was aware that there was always supposed be a guard on duty. The absence of one was troubling. What had happened to him?

As they moved toward row 97, Ron felt more and more certain that they had foolish snatched up a poisoned pawn, and either Sirius was dead and the death eaters long gone, or else they had walked right into a trap. The problem was, he knew Harry wouldn't listen to him. When Harry got like this, he wouldn't listen to anyone.

Ron gripped his wand tighter, and checked again to make sure everyone else had their wands ready. He wondered if everybody was as spooked as he was, since they were all white faced and clutching their wands nervously.

Harry was beyond nervous; he was frantic. He kept insisting Sirius was here, and was searching desperately for him. Ron was relieved when Hermione gently said she didn't think Sirius was here. Ron was about to agree with her, when to his shock he saw Harry's name.

Ron blinked, wondering if he was seeing correctly. But yeah, there was Harry's name. Puzzled, Ron quickly scanned the rest of the row of orbs. No one else's name was there. His name wasn't there. Why was Harry's?

Ron didn't think it was wise for Harry to grab the orb, but he couldn't fault him. If there was an orb with his own name on it, Ron would be curious. In any case, Harry was in his reckless devil-may-care mode, and there was nothing for it but to let Harry do what he would.

And of course the second Harry picked up the orb the trap was sprung. Ron wasn't truly surprised. He thought briefly of his dream about Grandpa Weasley teaching him chess, and realized he, along with Harry and the other four had gotten distracted by the pieces, ignoring the larger picture.

Initially, Ron felt not fear but annoyance at himself for not paying attention to his instincts. Why did they keep getting caught off guard like this? He was the chess master; it was Ron's responsibility to help prevent this.

On the other hand, Harry was the natural leader, and unfortunately, Harry seldom either asked for or followed advice. If Harry was determined to march into the mouth of hell, he would do so no matter what anyone said.

As Harry's best mate and right-hand-man, all Ron could do was follow. Ron was resigned to Hermione coming along with them. But this time, Ginny, Luna and Neville were there as well. If Harry had no regard for his own well-being, couldn't he have at least a little for everyone else's?

Ron paid only nominal attention to Harry and Malfoy's bickering about the orb and Sirius. In chess, there were times when suddenly everything clicked into place, and Ron could see exactly every move in advance.

Well, now he was seeing every move in hindsight. Fat lot of good that did now; why hadn't he seen it before? Of course there was something here that You Know Who wanted. That's what the Order had been trying to guard. That's what Sturgis and Bode had been trying to steal.

This orb with Harry's name was what everyone was after. All Ron didn't see is why it was so important and why Harry had been lured here to get it. But that orb was their one advantage. As long as Harry held onto it, the death eaters were reluctant to attack them.

Ron immediately focused on the here and now again when Ginny was threatened. Sheer terror froze him and kept him from wrapping his arms around her and screaming for them to take him instead. He was happy when the others all moved protectively around her.

Ron felt Hermione nudge him, then she whispered, "Smash the shelves on Harry's signal. Pass it on."

Okay, this was why Harry was the leader. Smashing the shelves and creating confusion was about as good a plan as they were going to get. Ron relayed the message to Ginny, and heard her hissing to Luna in turn.

Harry yelled, "NOW!" and Ron screamed, "RUDUCTO!" in reply, slamming a curse into a shelf above the death eaters and sending glass, wood and ghostly figures down on their heads.

Ron heard the other four throwing their own curses, and he tried to shield both Ginny and Luna somewhat with his own body from the debris raining down on them.

He was vaguely aware of Harry tugging on Hermione's robe and Neville flanking Harry as all of them took to their heels in flight from the death eaters.

Ron thought he may have had ran past Harry, but it was so chaotic, he wasn't sure. He was following Ginny, with the others behind him, hoping against hope that they could fight their way free out of the Ministry.

They were finally at the end of row 97 and sprinting back toward the time room. Ginny was still in the lead, and Ron could hear the footsteps of the others at his heels. Ron could see the doorway to the time room straight ahead and his heart soared. They just might make it!

Ron risked a glance behind him, and immediately his spirits plummeted. Luna was dogging him, but behind her were four death eaters. There was no sign of Harry, Hermione or Neville. Ron realized that the footsteps that he had assumed belonged to his friends actually were the death eaters.

"STUPEFY!" Ron sent a curse spinning toward them, and they all paused to duck. Sadly, Ron didn't hit an of them, but he had least slowed them down.

Grabbing Luna, he urged Ginny on, "RUN! Death eaters!"

"Where are the others?" Ginny yelled back.

"Don't know," Ron panted, "but we can't stop now. We have to lose these guys than try to find them."

Ginny opened a door, and Ron and Luna sprinted through.

"STUPEFY!" screamed Ginny, sending another curse towards the death eaters.

But the death eaters dodged the curse and were crowding into the entrance of the new room, and Ron, Ginny and Luna had no choice but to try to run again.

Except, well, they couldn't really run. Instead they were kind of weirdly floating around. Ron wind milled his arms trying to gain his balance, and instead found himself doing a flip in midair.

Bloody hell! What was going on? Why weren't his feet solidly on the ground where they belonged? Ron realized they must have gone the wrong way, and instead of being in the room full of clocks, they were somewhere else. And this somewhere else was just as strange as all the other rooms.

It was very dark, almost pitch black. Ron was tempted to use his wand for some light, but was afraid to give his position away if the death eaters had followed them.

Blinking, Ron peered around, trying to make sense of his surroundings. They seemed to be in a room full of round floating objects. Ron gaped at one of the spheres that had rings around it, thinking it looked like Saturn.

Then he realized it was Saturn.

"These are planets!" exclaimed Luna. She sounded delighted.

"But why are we floating?" asked a panicked Ginny.

"I think this is supposed to resemble space, and there's no gravity in space," explained Luna.

"There's no oxygen either, but we seem to be able to breathe," observed Ginny.

"Thank Merlin for that," said Ron, sourly, "or we'd all be dead."

"We might still be dead soon," replied Luna. "The death eaters followed us."

Ron glanced back toward the death eaters, and realized they were as disoriented as he was. But like him, Ginny and Luna, they were figuring things out. He and the girls needed to get out of here.

Unfortunately, the death eaters were between them and the door. Ron saw one of the death eaters raise his wand, and he shoved Luna out of the way, yelling, "Look out!"

Luna shot off behind Jupiter from the force of the shove, while Ron and Ginny sent curses flying toward the death eaters. The good news was they both hit their target; the bad news was the kickback from their own spells sent them careening backwards into Uranus.

Ron was going arse over teakettle from the backlash of the spell, and slammed head first into the planet. Ginny hit the Uranus feet first, and bounced straight into Ron, who smacked again into the planet.

"OW!" he complained, tasting blood.

"Sorry, it's hard to find your balance. We need to brace ourselves before we cast any spells again," said an apologetic Ginny.

"Good idea, lean against a planet before you throw any more hexes," agreed Ron. He was just trying to turn himself around to search for the remaining death eaters when he heard Ginny's cry of warning before Ron felt a hex hit him.

He felt…brilliant! This was so much fun! What an amazing room! There were planets! Ron could bounce around the planets like one of those muggle airynaunts!

He was looking at Uranus! He had asked Lavender once if he could see Uranus. That was so funny. It wasn't his fault Trelawney had no sense of humor.

"Ron!"

Ron turned to see Ginny and Luna staring at him.

"What's wrong with you? You're acting strange."

"I'm great! Look! This is Uranus," Ron giggled.

"That spell did something to you. We need to get out of here," urged Ginny.

Ron pouted, "I don't want to go. I like it here. I want to see if I can walk on Saturn's rings."

"No! Ron please! We have to find Harry," said Ginny, tugging on her brother's robes. Ron tried to twist free, and Ginny lost her balance again and spun back toward Pluto.

Unfortunately, a death eater was lurking behind the planet, and grabbed her ankle. Ginny shouted, trying to kick him in the face.

"REDUCTO!" screamed Luna, throwing a curse toward Pluto. The planet exploded, causing the death eater to let loose of Ginny's ankle, but there was a loud crack and Ginny howled in pain.

"Ginny!" cried Luna, trying her best to make it over to the other girl's side. "Are you alright?"

Ginny gritted her teeth, "I'm fine. There's the door. We need to get out of here. But you'll have to catch my git of a brother. He's playing on Saturn's rings."

Ron didn't understand why Luna kept insisting he had to go with her. He was having fun right where he was. But Luna kept saying they needed to find Harry. What did they need Harry for? This girl was loony.

Wait! This girl really was Loony! Her nickname was Loony! That was funny! He should tell Harry!

So maybe this Loony was right and they should find Harry. Besides, Ron had to tell him that he had seen Uranus!

And there was Harry! Right after they opened the door, Harry was there!

So Ron told Harry all about Uranus and Loony; it would have been churlish not to share. But for some reason, Harry didn't seem interested. Ron felt ill-used. Didn't anyone want to have fun?

But then there were death eaters bursting into the room, and they were definitely not fun. The death eaters were throwing spells at Ron and his friends, and Ron glared at them indignantly.

"Hey!" he scolded them. "That's not cool! What do you think you're doing?"

"Ron!" screamed Harry, "Get down!"

"But Harry," protested Ron, "they're trying to hex us. That's not nice. I'm telling them to stop."

"Ron! Look out!" yelled Ginny.

Ron turned to see a red light flying toward him, then everything went black.

 **Sigh, I'm sure this was as dull to read as it was to write, but with chapters like this all authors have a problem. You're pretty much stuck covering ground that Rowling's already gone over**. **I did change it a little, of course. I took out the brains because I couldn't see Ron getting whipped twice.**

 **To make up for this being so boring, I'm going to issue a challenge. Way back when I was explaining about the Red King/White Queen, I listed the clues Rowling gives that Ron's the Red King.**

 **Well, I deliberately left one clue out. It's such an obvious clue I was certain some Ron fan would pick up on it and ask why I didn't mention it. Sadly, no one has. But everyone reading this is a Ron fan, right? So you all know it.**

 **I know all my fellow Ron fans know this clue of Rowling's. If you just think about it, it should come to you. So I'll give a big shout out to whoever figures out this clue first. Thanks again for reading.**


	19. Chapter 19

Lion's Breed True Chapter 19

 **Wow, I'm sorry. I honestly thought everyone would have no trouble seeing Rowling's final clue. I think maybe all of you were over thinking it, because it's right in plain sight, especially for Ron fans. It's the song, of course. 'Weasley is our King'! See? Rowling flat out tells us Ron's the King!**

 **avid reader had a question regarding fanfiction. I firmly believe anyone has the right to post/publish whatever they like, and if others don't like it, they are free to ignore it.**

 **That being said, if you write a book making Hitler a hero, you should be prepared to be decimated in reviews. Any fanfiction writer who makes Voldemort the good guy is asking for the snark.**

 **Furthermore, in fanfiction you are not creating your own characters, but are borrowing someone else's characters. You owe everyone some obligation to try to respect the original characters.**

 **The problem with Dramione is most of these writers seem to have no clue that they're trashing Rowling's characters. (Just for the record, Rowling doesn't seem to like it.)**

 **As for AU, I not only like it, I write it (although I haven't posted any). For that matter, although I'm a devoted Ron fan, I'm not so devoted to R/Hr that I'm not willing to read stories where Ron's paired with someone else (if I could just find one that's intelligent and well written).**

 **Part of the fun of fanfiction is letting your imagination go wild. I do get that. But the trouble with fanfiction (not just HP, it seems to happen in most fanfiction) is that certain myths keep getting told and retold to the point that they become accepted as fact, and true canon's ignored. (As a matter of fact, if you bring up true canon people can get downright peevish about it.)**

 **For example, there are probably millions of HP fanfiction readers who are absolutely convinced that Ron's a blithering idiot. In canon, he's actually an intelligent, capable wizard. But there are fanfiction writers who have no clue that when they make Ron an imbecile he's out of character. In fact, I've seen stories where the writers warn Ron's OOC because he's SMART.**

 **If you are writing AU, or having the characters be OOC, you should at least know this. And you should definitely warn your readers of this in advance. (You should also warn of bashing. It infuriates me to be tricked into reading Ron bashing.)**

 **Also, I believe writers should try to have their stories make some sense. This is another problem I have with Dramione; most of the plots are incredibly juvenile. Marriage laws? Eighth year Head Boy/Head Girl? Did these writers logic skills atrophy when they were five years old?**

 **If you are forced to childish tripe, you might want to rethink the whole premise of your story. And this brings my last objection to a great deal of HP fanfiction: writers who don't have the courage of their own convictions.**

 **All Ron fans know what I mean here. HP fanfiction is flooded with writers who are convinced Hermione should not be with Ron. Fair enough. But if they truly believe this they ought to be able to write a story that doesn't use insulting and convenient plot devices.**

 **If you're going to have Hermione be with Draco and support the death eaters, have her actually turn evil and don't justify it by bashing Dumbledore and his followers.**

 **If you truly believe Hermione should be with either Harry or a Fred who survived, OWN it. Do not make it easy for Hermione to dump Ron because he mistreats her, cheats, or is suddenly gay (or is the fore mentioned idiot).**

 **In other words, you should be willing to have Hermione (along with either Harry or Fred) stab Ron in the back, crave his heart into pieces, and rock the Weasley family on its foundations. If Hermione has in fact realized she's in love with someone else, this hard path would be the only decent thing to do.**

 **But of course, none of this would make Hermione look nice. And these writers simply can't stand their precious Hermione looking bad, so they sacrifice Ron. My outrage isn't simply because I like Ron, but because they are being hypocrites.**

 **They set Ron up as a straw man, gleefully bash him to keep Hermione pure, then act smug and sanctimonious.**

 **The ultimate irony here is that the Harry Potter books are about growing up: physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. But these writers are retreating to the playground. One wonders if they even begin to comprehend the true meaning of the books.**

 **However, in the end, anyone can post whatever they want. If writers insist on embarrassing themselves by demonstrating how immature and clueless they are, no one can stop them. But I do cringe for them.**

Harry was brooding. Ron knew this and tried not to resent it. But well, he did resent it. The five of them had followed Harry to the Ministry of Magic, and everyone single one of them had been injured.

Granted, Ginny, Luna and Neville hadn't been hurt too badly, but they had been hurt. Hermione had been hit with some curse they didn't even recognize.

As for himself, besides being cursed, evidently smashing into Uranus those two times had given him a concussion. Stupid planet; it deserved its ridiculous name.

But Harry acted rather blasé about everyone's injuries, choosing to brood over Sirius instead. It wasn't that Ron wasn't sad about Sirius dying too. Of course he was. But well, he hadn't known Sirius that well.

And for all that Sirius was Harry's godfather, Harry didn't know Sirius all that well either. Three years ago, none of them knew Sirius existed. It was only about two years ago that they found out Sirius was actually one of the good guys, and not a murderer.

Harry had not spent too much time in the last two years with Sirius. But it wasn't Sirius himself, but what Sirius represented that Harry mourned. Sirius was Harry's chance of having a family.

As far as Ron was concerned, the true tragedy of Harry's life wasn't Sirius dying. It wasn't even his parents dying. It was the Dursleys didn't want him.

If Harry's aunt, uncle and cousin had welcomed Harry into their life and home with open arms and hearts, Harry's whole life would be different.

Of course, Harry would be different too. He wouldn't be the Harry Ron knew. They might not even be friends. Who knew?

Ron hated thoughts like this. You just went around and around in circles, and you never got anywhere. Just like those stupid books Hermione was so insistent he read last summer.

 _Hermione had been worried about falling behind in her summer school work, and asked Mum if she could study a few hours every morning before starting her cleaning._

 _Mum had made it very plain she was thrilled with the notion, and made scathing comparisons between Hermione's study habits as opposed to her three sons still in school. (Not that Ginny was any more diligent about studying than her brothers, but of course Mum choose to ignore that.)_

 _The twins, seeing a hopeful light, had leaped at the opportunity, insisting they would be delighted to study every morning before starting cleaning. Ron and Ginny had immediately jumped on the band wagon as well._

" _Very well," Mum agreed. "We'll start every day with a study session. Here in the kitchen under my eye."_

 _She smiled grimly when all four of her children's faces fell in disappointment. "Did you really think I was going to let you study by yourselves in your rooms?_

" _I know how little studying will get done if I do that! So you have a choice every day. Either have your school books here in the kitchen and be ready to study, or start your cleaning."_

 _It didn't take long for the Fred, George and Ginny to opt for cleaning over studying. They were restless, and at least with cleaning they were actively moving._

 _Ron thought cleaning might be preferable to studying too, except, well, studying meant he was spending time with Hermione. He refused to consider why spending time with Hermione made even studying better._

 _But Hermione, being Hermione, was soon done with her summer school work and was doing extra reading on the side._

 _Dad, lingering slightly over a late breakfast, noticed her book and perked up, "You're reading Voltaire?" He sounded impressed._

 _Hermione beamed, "I try to do a project every summer to increase my knowledge. This summer I'm studying philosophy."_

 _Ron gaped at her. Voluntarily doing extra studying? She was mental._

" _Philosophy is a great topic to choose," Dad enthused_

 _Ron blinked, "What is it?"_

 _Dad started to answer, but of course Hermione beat him to it, "It's the study of the search for knowledge and wisdom. You know, trying to explain what the purpose of life is and why we're here."_

 _It was on the tip of Ron's tongue to say they were here because their parents had sex, but luckily he remembered said parents were present and he shut his mouth with a snap._

 _Hermione suddenly turned on Ron, "You should read some of these philosophy books too Ron. It would broaden your mind._

" _Besides, you're almost done with your school work. This would give you something else to study."_

" _You're almost done with your summer school work?" asked George._

" _Are you turning into Percy?" demanded Fred. "Because if you are, we're going to toss you out."_

" _Piss off!" snapped Ron. He turned to Hermione, "Fine, I'll read some of your philosophy."_

 _What the hell, it couldn't be worse than cleaning, could it? It could. It was the most dreadful, useless bunch of nonsense imaginable as far as Ron was concerned. And considering Trelawney's class, that was saying something._

"' _I think therefore I am?' What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean? You might as well say. 'I breathe therefore I live'. Or maybe 'I live, therefore I breathe. When I stop doing one, I'll stop doing the other.'_

" _That makes just as much sense. And it's just about as useful."_

" _You're missing the point!" argued Hermione._

" _There is no point to it! If muggles actually go around reading this they're mental," shot back Ron._

" _You're insulting some of the greatest minds in history!" exclaimed Hermione._

" _It took a great mind to figure out 'I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong'?" questioned Ron._

 _I know you would never die for your beliefs!" Hermione hotly retorted._

" _No, why would I? That's stupid. Unless someone can read my mind, they wouldn't know what I believed anyway._

" _It's like this," Ron continued, "if death eaters broke in and said they were going to kill one of us, but we could choose which one, I'd tell them to kill me._

" _But if they said they would kill us unless we agreed pure bloods are better than muggle-borns, I would say I agreed with them even though I didn't._

" _After all, they wouldn't know if I really agreed with them, would they?"_

 _Hermione was staring at Ron with an odd look on her face, "'And yet it moves,'" she whispered._

 _Ron wrinkled his brow, "What?"_

 _Hermione shook her head, "Sorry, that's what Galileo said when he was forced to recant that the earth moves around the sun."_

" _Oh yeah," agreed Ron, "or the Church was going to turn him crispy."_

 _Hermione gaped at him, "You know who Galileo is?"_

" _Always the tone of surprise! Of course I know who Galileo is. As far as I'm concerned he makes more sense than these philosophers of yours," Ron replied._

" _I mean look at Sockies," he went on._

" _Socrates," Hermione corrected._

" _Yeah, him too," Ron agreed. "I mean, sometimes he's cool, but then he says ignorance is the greatest evil and knowledge the greatest good._

" _Well, a baby's ignorant, but it's good. And You Know Who is very smart, but he's evil. So that saying makes no sense."_

" _Yes, but look at Malfoy," argued Hermione._

" _You look at Malfoy," Ron interrupted. "I can't stand the git."_

" _I mean," huffed Hermione, "he was raised being told pure bloods were better than muggle borns. So that's what he believes out of ignorance."_

" _He's spent the last four years at Hogwarts," replied Ron flatly. "If he still believes he's better than muggle borns it's because he wants to believe that._

" _Small children accept whatever their parents say, but when you get older you start thinking for yourself and questioning your parent's beliefs._

" _Somethings wrong with Malfoy if he hasn't started questioning his daddy's ideas."_

" _I…well, you're right," conceded Hermione. "It's a normal part of growing up to separate from your parents and start forming your own beliefs._

" _That's one of the reasons I'm so worried about Harry! He doesn't have the normal childhood experiences._

" _And with everything that happened, especially watching Cedric killed, I just don't know how Harry will adjust._

" _That's why I'm studying philosophy, you know. I'm hoping to gain some insight that will help Harry make sense of things."_

" _Are you mental?" asked an amazed Ron. "If you want to help Harry, study ways to fight and defend yourself._

" _Trust me, this philosophy isn't going to help him any. It's gibberish."_

" _I suppose you're not worried about Harry," sniped Hermione. "You and your brothers seem to be joking around like normal."_

" _Of course I'm worried about Harry!" snapped Ron. "So are the twins, even if they don't show it. But moping around being miserable isn't going to help Harry, is it? If me being unhappy somehow meant Harry was happy, I'd be unhappy for him._

" _But me being unhappy just makes us both unhappy. Explain how that helps Harry?"_

" _What about Cedric?" returned Hermione, heatedly. "He's dead! Don't you care?"_

" _I wish he wasn't dead. He was young, and he seemed pretty nice, but honestly? I didn't really know him that well. I can't pretend I'm in serious mourning over someone I barely knew," answered Ron._

" _But Harry watched Cedric die," said Hermione sadly. "And now he's stuck with those awful Dursleys. We can't even tell him anything. You know he's going to be mad at us."_

 _Ron sighed, "Probably. Doesn't matter though, we still can't tell him anything. Frankly, we haven't much to tell him anyway."_

" _There has to be a magical way to communicate with him that doesn't involve owls," said Hermione._

" _Well, yeah, there is. So what? We're underage, just like Harry. He hasn't exactly been chatty in his letters either, has he?" replied Ron._

" _Ron? The twins are of age," suggested Hermione._

 _Ron shrugged, "You don't think I haven't thought of that? It's no good. Dad and Dumbledore got to them first, and whatever they told the twins convinced Fred and George not to help us talk to Harry behind everyone's back. They even took a vow about it._

" _I mean, it wasn't an Unbreakable Vow, but it might as well have been. The twins take their oaths pretty seriously, and they won't break them unless they feel like they have to._

" _Nothing I've said convinces them that they have to. And well, I guess I agree with them. It's better for Harry to be angry and miserable over being hurt or worse."_

 _Hermione stared at Ron a moment, then briskly set aside her philosophy books and picked up a book about avoiding hexes._

 _Ron asked tentatively, "What are you doing?"_

" _You're right," answered Hermione. "Philosophy is of dubious help. Avoiding hexes is more practical. So let's study that."_

It was one of the few times ever Ron could remember Hermione admitting to being wrong. Ron always thought it a shame Hermione had no older siblings; nothing like being teased and mocked half to death to make you humble.

Come to think of it, younger siblings weren't exactly good for the ego either. Or at least, Ginny wasn't. Ron seriously doubted he had ever wounded any of sibling's dignity.

But thinking of Ginny made Ron remember one time when he had been anxious to see her. When her very presence had been an enormous comfort.

Right after Madame Pomfrey left him on the whipping post platform Ron would have sold his soul for a friendly face. He had felt abandoned and forlorn. That feeling had in some ways been worse than the whipping itself.

Harry had grown up alone. No friendly faces. No one happy to see him. No one to turn to for comfort. No wonder he clung so tightly to Sirius.

Still, five people followed Harry. None of them went for Sirius. Hell, Luna and Neville didn't even know Sirius.

All five went for Harry. Harry was going to go, and none of them were going to let Harry go alone. As painful as it was that Sirius was dead, Harry should try to hold on to the thought that there were people who cared about him.

And now Ron's thoughts had circled right back to where he had started.

Ron sighed, and snuggled down a little in his pillow. Pomfrey said he and Hermione would probably be able to leave the hospital wing tomorrow.

Ron hoped so. If his brain kept going around and around like this, he might get desperate enough to read philosophy.

 **I hope I didn't step on any toes here. If so, I apologize to fans of philosophy in general, and especially fans of Socrates, Descartes, and Russell. But I seriously doubt Ron would care much for philosophy.**

 **Thanks again for reading.**


	20. Chapter 20

Lion's Breed True Chapter 20

 **I again want to thank everyone for reading and reviewing. You are all fantastic. I have a few quick notes to answer some concerns. First, I'm familiar with 'Choices' by random-fruitcake04, and I agree, it's fantastic!**

 **Second, in chapter 4 when Ron tells Harry about saying Voldemort's name when he was six, the Weasley's were in no danger. But the fear of the name was so ingrained into the family they reacted as if they were in danger. The point of that story is the scars left by the first war didn't disappear, and the pure bloods had to deal with them.**

 **Next, I'm TRYING to put gaps between the story and author's notes, but I've a new laptop and it takes the gaps out when I post! I'm sure it's my fault since I'm not good with computers. But I'll keep working at it.**

 **Finally, I've been struggling over something here. I meant to end this story soon, since it takes place fifth year, and fifth year is almost over.**

 **But I've been blocking out a sixth year story that is more AU, but shadows canon. It's occurred to me I could simply continue this story. I honestly didn't mean to, as I had a different format in mind for the other story, but it's possible.**

 **So I'm asking if anyone has a preference. There are advantages and disadvantages both ways. Thanks again for reading. Any feedback is welcome.**

It was, of all people, Luna who helped Harry accept the death of Sirius. Ron didn't suppose it mattered really. What was important was Harry was feeling better. Ron just wished he could have been the one who made Harry feel better, however petty that was.

It didn't help that Harry had a secret. Ron was fairly certain that no one else, not even Hermione, realized Harry was keeping something from them. But Ron knew.

It wasn't because Ron knew Harry better than Hermione, but he knew Harry differently than Hermione. Ron was beginning to appreciate that you knew different people different ways, and other people knew you in different ways.

Ron and Harry weren't quite as close as the twins, but they were still bloody close. Ron and Harry had spent five years in each other's constant company.

They had started out as rather scared and nervous, but excited boys. Together, they had gone through the sometimes fun, other times painful and often confusing transformation from boys to men.

Hermione had been on her own journey to becoming a woman, but as a male Ron couldn't fully understand. He had no clue what a period felt like, just as Hermione had no idea how an erection felt.

Ron supposed Hermione had her own set of friends she could share experiences like that with, though who they were, Ron had no clue. She didn't seem to have much in common with her dorm mates.

But she and Ginny seemed pretty friendly. Ron had mixed feelings about that. There were times when it made it convenient and easy that Hermione and Ginny were friends. If they disliked each other, it would be really awkward to have Hermione visit the Burrow.

On the other hand, there were times when Ron wished his sister would go off with her own friends and stay away from his. He knew it was his own stupid insecurities speaking, but it worried Ron that Harry and Hermione would realize that bright shiny Ginny was perhaps a better third than a clumsy oaf.

Ron wished for the umpteenth time that he could talk to Percy about all this. There simply wasn't anyone else to talk to about it. The twins and Ginny would mock him relentlessly, and Bill and Charlie were too remote.

Although, strangely enough, Bill, Charlie, Fred and George had all been waiting at the Burrow when he and Ginny had come home from Hogwarts.

Ginny, delighted, had rushed her brothers for a hug, but they had only given her a perfunctory hug in return, because all their attention had been focused on Ron. You would have thought there was no one else in the room.

Ron's first reaction had been blind panic. How had he disappointed everyone this time? How vicious was his family going to be?

But then Bill was coming toward him, arms held out for a hug, murmuring, "Ronnie".

Charlie had side-arm hugged him, ruffing his hair slightly, "Hey little brother."

Ron was so stunned he couldn't respond.

The biggest surprise was the twins. They stared at him with hang-dog looks, shoulders slumped, and shuffling their feet.

"We never meant for you to be hurt!" burst out Fred. "We thought it would be safe! We never…" Fred's voice trailed off, and he stared at his feet.

To Ron's horror, he realized Fred was crying. Ron looked to George, who was shaking and looking like a puppy expecting to be kicked.

This was the moment Ron had spent a lifetime imaging. All of his childhood, through countless hours brooding alone in his room, Ron had longed for just such an experience.

Every time the twins had pranked him, mocked him, set him up to take the blame, caused him to lose his temper and be punished, Ron had sat alone in his room and imagined this scene.

This was it: the twins were remorseful and humbled, pleading for forgiveness. So why in the bloody hell wasn't Ron savoring this? Somehow, he couldn't; he simply wanted Fred and George to be themselves.

Ron's throat felt tight. He wanted desperately to reassure the twins, but speech was somehow beyond him. So he did the only thing he could do; he rushed to the twins and hugged them.

They hugged him back, and suddenly Ron could talk again, "It's alright. None of it is your fault."

"We wouldn't have left if we had known you were in danger," replied George. "We're sorry, we're so sorry."

"Don't be. I volunteered. And I knew what Umbridge was like. She's gone now anyway, so it's alright.

It had turned into a nice family reunion, except, of course, Percy wasn't there.

Percy's absence hung over the family like a cloud. It didn't help that almost everyone except Ron, Mum and Dad were verbally abusing him.

Every time Ron had to listen to his siblings run Percy down he had to grit his teeth to keep from crying out, "You don't know the truth! Percy regrets leaving, and he's putting his neck out to make amends."

Ron thought it would be easy getting Bill alone to talk to him about Percy, but it wasn't. Bill always seemed busy, and if he wasn't other family members were hanging on to him.

Finally, Ron flat out said, "Bill, I need to talk to you, privately."

Fred immediately smirked, "Ronniekins! What could you possibly have to say to Bill that you can't say in front of everyone else? We have no secrets in this family!"

"Now Fred," admonished George. "Our baby brother is growing up. He probably needs girl advice. Pity he's going to the wrong brother."

Bill had an odd gleam in his eye, "Do you really think I'm the wrong brother for advice on girls?"

George backtracked, to Ginny's amusement, "Um, probably not."

"Ron probably wants help getting Hermione to like him," threw in Ginny. "I could tell him a thing or two, if he would listen."

"This has nothing to do with Hermione!" protested Ron.

Ginny and the twins exchanged glances, "There isn't some other girl, is there?" asked Ginny.

Ron took a deep breath, "This isn't about a girl."

"Don't tell me it's about a boy," Fred joked.

"Will you all stop it?" begged Ron. "This isn't about my love life."

"Hard for it to be, since you don't have one," agreed George. "What's up with that anyway?"

"Yeah," chimed in Fred. "You're a Weasley. You're letting the family down, little brother."

Ron felt like tearing his hair out, "I just need to talk to Bill privately. It has nothing to do with my love life, or lack of one. Now will you all piss off, and let me talk to Bill!"

"Ron," Bill put his hand on Ron's shoulder, "calm down. Of course we can talk. Let's go out to the pond."

Bill glanced at the other three, "I expect all of you to respect our privacy."

Ron could tell by the looks on Fred's, George's and Ginny's faces that they had planned to try to listen. He didn't think they would after what Bill had just said, but nevertheless Ron asked Bill to cast a privacy spell.

Bill looked startled, but did so, then asked, "Now, what's all this about?"

"Percy."

Bill's jaw dropped, "What about him?"

"He regrets, well, everything," replied Ron.

"Then why doesn't he came back?" demanded Bill.

Ron swallowed, "Because he's being watched. But he's turned the tables on the watchers. He's watching them and keeping notes.

"Bill, he's in danger! There are death eaters in the Ministry, and if they suspect what Percy's doing, who knows what they'll do!"

Bill gaped at Ron, "How do you know this?"

"Because Percy told me, of course," replied Ron, impatiently. "He didn't want me to tell anyone, but he finally agreed I could tell you."

"Ron," Bill's voice sounded shaky, "I'm trying to take this all in, but it's not making much sense. Start at the beginning. Tell me when you met Percy, and exactly what he told you."

So Ron recounted as well as he could his last meeting with Percy. When he finished, Bill was white as a sheet, and staring at Ron in horror.

Abruptly, Bill sat down, and put his head between his knees.

"Bill! Are you alright!"

Bill looked up, and laughed shortly, "Why wouldn't I be alright? I just found out one of my little brothers is playing a dangerous game of spy, and the only reason my baby brother told me that is in case he dies, and he wants to make sure someone knows."

Ron winced, "Sorry sounds inadequate, but it's all I've got."

"Yeah," Bill gave another short laugh. "Just give me a minute, alright? It's a lot to take in."

Ron waited as patiently as he could, while realizing all the time he wasn't going to get what he really wanted. As childish and silly as it was, Ron had been hoping that Bill would have some solution that would keep Percy safe.

Now he knew that wasn't going to happen. Still, it was a relief that he wasn't carrying the burden of being the only one to know the truth.

Finally, Bill straightened up and faced Ron, "Alright. I'm glad I know. I'll keep it a secret, unless I think there's a compelling reason not to."

"We can't do anything, can we?" asked Ron dully.

Bill sighed, "Percy's taking responsibility for his own poor decision. He's trying to do something about it, and that's better than sitting and feeling guilty and sorry for himself.

"If there's one thing I learned, it's everyone is responsible for their own life.

"If you don't like something about yourself, and you can change it, change it. If you can't change it, accept it.

"But hating yourself doesn't help anyone. And no one else can help you. Everyone has to do it on their own. Including Percy."


End file.
